


ORLBAQ BHE SNGR

by SirenoftheDamned



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bill is a jerk, Codes & Ciphers, F/M, Human Bill Cipher, Likely to become a series., M/M, Magic Dipper Pines, Minor Injuries, Original Character Death(s), Slow Build, This is probably just going to be fluff., Triangle Bill Cipher, Wicca, Witches, but not really, demonic transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 07:12:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 74,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5281571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirenoftheDamned/pseuds/SirenoftheDamned
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gravity Falls has been on a long road to recovery from Weirdmaggeddon. After returning back to piedmont for the school year, Dipper and Mabel return to see their Great Uncle's and old friends for summer of relaxation and fun. However when an old enemy return's and new faces arrive in town, Dipper finds himself thrust back into the mysteries of gravity falls. He must then decide between following his heart, and doing what's best for everyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Gur Fhzzbavat

**Author's Note:**

> The Caesar Cipher is used frequently throughout the story, specifically Rot13. 
> 
> Please comment below with suggestions or spelling/punctuation errors I may have.
> 
> For those of you who were curious, I decided to re-vamp my description. It was kind of meh XDD.

“Are you sure about this?” The old attic room creaked warily, cobwebs and dust covering most surfaces and leaving a thick air to the too small of a space. Huddle together, two young teens knelt before a circle drawn in red chalk on the floor, black candles placed strategically at three points at the edges of the circle forming a triangle. 

The first, a girl with a round face and bright blue eyes, brushed some dust from a yellowed out page in an old book. The text seemed to shimmer and glow under the light of the candle nearest to her, pulsing with a life of its own. The second, a boy with a more angled face and soft green eyes, had his hand placed over the circle. His gaze was set on the girl as she glimpsed over the text, his hands quivering slightly. “We’ve come this far William, there is no point in stopping now…Plus if he will cure mother’s illness than we have no choice.” The young girl addressed William without fully looking at him, her brown hair drifting into her vision as it slid from off of her shoulder. 

William heaved a nervous sigh, his whitened teeth gnawing at his bottom lip “Willow…What if it backfires. I mean he could want to eat one of us or worse.” Willow now sighed, her hand shaking slightly as she retraced the words on the page that she had been practicing with for months. She looked back towards William trying to reassure him with a smile “Look William, we’ll always be here for each other ok…No matter what happens if you or I get into a bind the other will save them. It’s what siblings do.” 

Unfazed by her words William nodded slowly, one of his dark tanned hands fiddling with his yellow sweater-vest, his blond dyed hair falling into his face as he hung his head “Alright Willow…If you’re sure about this. He looked up towards Willow, a bright smile crossing the girls face and making him smile too. The two siblings leaned against each other for comfort as Willow began chanting, the circle glowing blue with each word.

Willow spoke slowly and carefully, not wanting to mispronounce the Latin lest she mess up the spell and really end up with some trouble. Her brother’s presence beside her was very comforting and it gave her the drive to keep speaking even as the candles burned too hotly beside of her. As the last word left her lips the light became over-whelming the two suddenly feeling unexplainably tired before the color seemed to be sapped from the world, leaving only the flames of the black candles colored in.

Above them something glowed a brilliant gold and the two sheltered their eyes from it by using their hand as a visor, William used his other hand to hold onto his sister’s shirt his body trembling with fear and anticipation. “Well, Well, Well. This is a first. I’ve never been summoned to Portland before. Let’s see here…” the yellow colored being spoke with a shrill voice, its figure indiscernible due to the overwhelming light, though they could make out the silhouette of something floating above its head. 

The siblings looked up at the spectral being with both awe and fear. Neither had been sure what to expect when they used the spell they found in the old demonology book, which now lay in front of Willow grayed out like everything else in the room. “Ah, river bend and red star to what do I owe the pleasure?” the creature lifted the object floating above its head in a sort of greeting, its tiny, clawed black hands never actually touching it. Willow glanced towards William both sharing a confused look before turning back towards the creature. 

They sat quietly for a moment taking note that the creature tilted its upper body down towards its wrist as if looking at an invisible watch. Willow quivered nervously, her eyes glued to her brother with uncertainty and fear. They shared a nod silently agreeing that William would be taking the lead on this situation “We want to make a deal.”


	2. Ynaqzvarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is a dumb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, what's this both pages at once? I figured I'd throw in the first page as well and see where it goes.

Dipper sighed as he picked his way through the entangled underbrush, having traveled off the path in pursuit of another mystery from Great Uncle Ford’s journal. He had been hoping to find an elusive Lepricorn, however, he only ended up hopelessly lost in a portion of the woods he’d never been in. Normally he’d have Mable with him, but this time she was off with Candy and Grenda.He had thought about asking Wendy, however she had to help her father around the house for the day, leaving Dipper to take this journey alone. 

He originally asked his great uncle to join him, but the seventy-something year old had been very insistent that he was still too busy cleaning up after the mess Bill left a year prior. Now thirteen going on fourteen, Dipper thought he could handle walking around in the woods without someone else but he quickly began to realize that he wasn’t quite familiar enough with the woods for this venture especially after spending a half year in school. 

It was a miracle that he and Mabel had managed to convince their parents to let them return to Gravity Falls, especially after Dipper had been hospitalized thanks to Bill, however with some very persistent begging from Mabel and Dipper being generally moody his parents eventually gave in. He had plans of really becoming his Great uncle’s apprentice when he and Mabel finished High-School, though he did promise his twin that they would get through to graduation together which was why he thought it best to spend the second day of his first week back hunting for mysteries. 

Lost in his thoughts Dipper didn’t notice a root sticking up out of the ground, his foot catching into the loop and forcing him off-balance. He tumbled and rolled his body to keep himself from being too damaged by his fall, the movement of toiling under his own feet leaving him momentarily disoriented. He sat there with the forest seeming to spin in a circle above him, his mind struggling to reorient itself

. As he remained still, the forest filled with the ambience of creatures both familiar and unfamiliar. Finally readying to stand he steadied himself using a tree, holding onto it to support him. Coming up fully, he took a moment to assess his surroundings finding no land marks or familiar places to pin point his position.  
He sighed and brushed off some dirt from his clothing, watching the caked on soil leave stains on his pants. Afterwards he reached through his puffy jacket, taking out his uncle’s journal and an old map from within the inner pocket. 

He skimmed over it, using the depictions on the map and the surrounding area to try and find something distinctive, uncertain of how deep he’d gone into the forest while on his search. While he was preoccupied with the map, a Gremgoblin cried out in the distance making Dipper jump nervously. Rather than standing there waiting for something to stumble across him, Dipper forced his way up the embankment he’d fallen down, finally feeling a sense for his mortality. 

As he ascended, his left knee began to ache blood seeping through a rip in his jeans where he managed to scrape the skin open on some rocks. Normally he would be wearing shorts, however after an unfortunate incident with faeries last summer, Dipper had learned to cover up as much skin as possible when exploring. He pushed the pain to the back of his mind. Though with his ankle twining in pain with every few steps, it was blatantly obvious to him that he had sprained it when he fell. 

He silently cursed his less than malleable teenaged body, wishing for his seemingly durable twelve year old legs in place of his gangly thirteen year old ones. Over the school year he had grown considerably, though Mabel always seemed to grow just a little bit taller than him. He was assured several times by great uncle Ford that this would change after he was about fourteen or fifteen, and it was something he looked forward to since Mabel still touted about being the “Alpha Twin”.


	3. Fzryyf Yvxr Zvfrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeff is a creepy Gnome, and Dipper knows it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to get out a chapter a day, however since I haven't actually finished this yet it will likely change to once a week :).

Dipper smiled fondly as he thought about the incident with the growing crystal last summer. Mabel had made a huge deal about being a centimeter bigger than him which had annoyed him at the time. However it was a great bonding experience for them, particularly when they learned they were both kind of jealous of each other.

As he reflected on last summer, he found himself wishing she was with him, the forest feeling all too big and overwhelming when he was by himself. Normally he would be too distracted to notice Mabel’s absence, but now that he was injured and had given up on his quarry he realized just how much he’d leaned on his sister that summer. At the time it had felt like he was always saving her, but she gave him something he needed, something to fight for. 

Reminding himself of Mabel also made him think that he really needed to get home so with a huff he hobbled forward, his injured leg barely managing to handle his weight. He switched from trying to walk normally, to just using his injured leg to push him forwards, the strange way he walked causing twigs to snap and crunch beneath him. “You really did it this time Dipper Pines. Now you’re going to die here in this big stupid forest and Mabel’s going to cry. You dummy.” He cursed himself under his breath, worried that if he spoke too loud he would attract some of the forest’s other kinds of creatures.

The underbrush rustled not just from his own movement so he paused, leaning against the side of a large pine tree. He trained his eyes to the ground, watching some movement from underneath a thicket. Gravity Falls had taught him many things last summer, and the number one thing it taught him was that the only creatures willing to make themselves known were usually strong enough to not be worried about a human. 

Preparing himself mentally to fight for his life, all of his nerves were prickled, his mind racing over what it could be and if it was interested in meat or not. He pondered over whether or not it was attracted to the smell of his blood his mind still very aware of the blood soaking his knee.

A less than dignifying scream erupted from his lips and he stumbled backwards as something emerged from the thicket. Something red poke out first from the entangled growth of a low lying bush, Dipper not taking the time to register what it could be as his shriek died down and his arms flailed out to balance himself.

As he fell back, Dipper grunted, his weight being thrown against the pine, his back throbbing from the scratching against the flaking bark when he fell. He felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as he stared into the eyes of the creature that had come from the underbrush, an amused grin across its small face. “Dipper Pines right? Wow, you are still just as underwhelming as I remember. Hey is your sister around here?”

A groan passed Dippers lips, his eyes narrowing slightly when he considered why exactly Mabel was being asked for. “Jeff was it? Look man, I know we all went through some stuff last summer but can’t we just let bygones be bygones?” he didn’t really feel like dealing with Jeff, the Gnome having given him more trouble than he was worth last summer, especially after trying to kidnap Mabel to be the Gnome queen and turning against them when they went to fight Gideon. “Yeah, yeah sure. Bygones and all that. So! Is Mabel still single?” 

Dipper could have smacked himself if he wasn’t still coming down from a major adrenalin rush, and he could already feel a headache forming the longer he talked to Jeff. “She’s not interested, trust me. Wait, you’re not –still- trying to kidnap girls are you?” the implications of Jeff trying to steal girls while he was at school left him a little unsettled, though obviously he’d never succeeded since he was asking about Mabel. “Yeah well, we the gnome people need a queen worthy of our status and dignified existence. The other girls were just unworthy.” This time Dipper did hit himself, annoyance creeping up like the ants now crossing his arm.


	4. Fyrrcvat Va Gur Jbbqf.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is still lost in the woods, but now wounded and very tired he must survive the creatures that roam the forest when the sun sets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry this one took so long. I wanted to make it a little longer, on top of having to deal with exams and holidays bluh. Anyways, please enjoy :)

An alarmed shriek left Dipper's lungs as he finally made note of the line of red ants slowly crawling up his arm. Momentarily lost in panic he violently swung the appendage back and forth to no avail. Disconcerted he swiped the ants away, suddenly very grateful that he had sported a long sleeve T, instead of his usual short sleeved, and this time faeries weren't the issue. As his chest heaved from his second or third panic attack of the day he became acutely aware of laughter to his right, his gaze settling on Jeff who was nearly on the ground. "Oh man, you humans do not age very much mentally do you?" the Gnome commented, a cacophony of laughter following from the thicket where the Gnome had first emerged. Disparaged, Dipper watched the Gnomes all file off deeper into the forest their small red caps tottering and bouncing on their heads. 

"Ugh...That guy is so weird." Dipper commented to himself, taking a moment to pull away from the tree. He could feel a dull ache in his limbs as he pushed himself forwards slightly, stepping out onto the slightly trodden path through the woods that he could only assume was made by deer. He was glad to be away from the ants, gladder still that Jeff had moved on, however as he hobbled on wards his mind returned to its earlier state of paranoia. His movements were slow and clumsy, his leg now growing simply numb rather than twinging in pain. He could feel the blood from the scrape becoming sticky as it dried, leaving a tacky crust that was rubbed against by frayed strands of denim. Grossed out, Dipper glanced upwards, the top canopy appearing to bow inwards like the dome of a pyramid. The sensation of being swallowed followed a bout of dizziness and Dipper resigned himself to looking only straight ahead. 

As he continued in a monotonous cadence through the overgrown remnants of a herds path he felt the sensation of being watched, the woods in the distance seeming to close off much like the canopy. "Ok Dipper, you're just hallucinating because you're scared. Just...Take deep breaths or something." Softly muttering to himself helped a little bit however the constants sound of scuffling leaves and snapping twigs from beneath him made him wary, his mind unable to sort out his own noise from anything further off. 

........

As the sun began to rise higher above him and his legs ached with the effort of walking he could make out the tree's starting to thin out. Relief overwhelmed him for a moment as he started to recognize where he was, the area younger wood wise than the one he'd come from due to constant lumber activity. This wasn't too far from where he met the Manitaur and he knew from there it was about a half-mile to where he and Mabel first met Jeff and the other Gnomes. Dipper was less concerned about the kinds of creatures that lived around these parts of the forest, most of them being familiar with and to him after the events of the past summer. Since all of the mythical creatures had made a run for it during weirdmageddon only faeries and Gnomes had come to this part of the forest the rest stayed further in out of fear. 

.......

The summer heat was slowly getting to Dipper and it pulled him from his musings. He began to regret not packing a water bottle or granola bar, but he was fairly certain that if he searched he could find something (albeit something old) that could pass as edible in his pockets. Trudging forwards his legs made the ground seem like mud instead of dried dirt and pine needles, his calves quivering from the effort. He sighed heavily and reached up past the bill of his hat to wipe sweat from his brow, a look of misery crossing his features as he slowed to a stop. Feeling he really needed to rest for a moment at least he scanned the area looking for a suitable place to sit. Feeling as if luck had finally graced him he spotted a space under an older cedar that was relatively clear of nettling branches and scratchy pine cones. With a sense of accomplishment and the enthusiasm of Robbie after Wendy broke up with him, Dipper chucked his short, sleeveless overcoat onto the ground to use as a cushion. 

Solemnly he took off his cap and placed it on the ground next to him, his other hand routing through the pockets of his new seat for the journal. Triumphantly he found it, and a pen which had been crammed into the bottom of the inner pocket. He glimpsed through the pages in the old yellowed book and entertained the thought that maybe lepricorns could assert bad luck onto their pursuers. Though not an entirely impossible theory he wasn't going to pass up the idea that he was just plain clumsy either. He kept skimming through the pages before stopping on the page on fairies, a pair of blonde fairies fluttering just a few feet in front of him. 

Figuring he would make use of his rest break he took the opportunity to jot down anything new he noticed just from watching them, the forest around him seeming lazy and half-awake in the afternoon heat. Dipper too found the warmth leaving him feeling rather sluggish on top of just plain exhaustion, and the lightly cooling breeze caressing his face certainly wasn't helping his efforts to stay awake. Instead Dipper found himself drifting off, his eyelids heavy and his vision slightly blurry. Birds chirped to each other in the tree's above and insects buzzed around him, the sounds eventually fading out as he drifted into a deep slumber. His body relaxed, leaving the journal and pen to roll from his grasp where they remained on the ground beside him. His last conscious thoughts were targeted at his gruncle's, and Mabel who he doubted had even noticed he'd been gone. 

........

The forest came alive as dusk etched across the land, the sun tilting away from the tree's leaving a web of stars stretching out across the expansive sky. The night blue slowly faded into a deep indigo and the horizon tinted an angry blood red as the entire world seemed to be closing its bleary eyes. A few Faeries arose from their perch upon the head of a human boy who had fallen asleep in their forest, the faeries tiny hands stretching outwards as they yawned. Slowly they drifted into the night air, glittering like white Christmas lights against the dark silhouettes of the trees. Fireflies joined them in the air, the creatures lightly illuminating the forest as faeries danced and giggled and twirled in the air. Owls hooted and fluttered off into the woods in search of food and the restless inhabitants slowly trudged back to their homes. 

The Gnomes from earlier too were making their way back to their home, trying to beat the arousal of the late night predators. Finding a few faeries giggling, Jeff stopped in his pace and turned to follow a few his gaze meeting the sleeping form of Dipper whom the faeries were using as a perch. A sharp laugh left him and he beckoned his fellow Gnomes, the others laughing as well. "Oh man, this is priceless. Mister big bad mystery guy passed out in our neck of the woods. What do you boys think about drawing on his face with sap?" Jeff mused, the other Gnomes and even a few faeries breaking into fits of giggling that went unnoticed by the sleeping human. 

Some of the faeries came to rest on the curly brown hair atop Dipper's head, their small hands braiding strands together as the little creatures chattered excitedly to each other the air around them seeming listless and light. The peaceful and playful nature of the forest was soon ebbed away though, and the faeries were quick to scatter as if the forest was a pond and someone had just tossed in a pebble. "DIPPER?" a distinctively female voice echoed off of the tree's, the Gnomes now making a hasty escape away from Dipper's sleeping form, none of them wanting to meet whomever was looking for him, female or not. As if the forest was listening, even the crickets and cicadas drew silent, only the sound of snapping twigs and crunching leaves filling in the atmosphere. In the distance a ghostly light bounced off of the tree's, seeming to come from all directions before it and the voice disappeared into the darkness. 

Moments passed in silence, the forest seeming to hold its breath save for a few mice who dared to dart out of their burrows in search of seeds or dried fruits. The trees rustled slightly against the breeze and the stillness made time creep forward like spiraling fog until, like a released spring, a pair of wings fluttered from the leaves of the cedar above Dipper. The air filled with a screech and gush of feathers flapping. Like a snap an owl had swooped down and drifted upwards just as quick, something caught between its talons. Following it, the faeries re-emerged from their hiding places to flutter and play around in the warm Oregon sky, all of the sounds and excitement returning to the woods and Dipper still laid completely unaware of the life moving around him.

........

Night now embraced the forest in full, the faeries and other creatures who'd come to enjoy the earlier hours now returned to their homes to rest and wait for the emergence of dawn. The moon was just beginning to ascend into the canopy, it's beams illuminating the lower terrain of the woods and glittering against Dipper's sleeping face. The woods were now the roaming lands of look-behinds, griffins, and were-creatures, large predators looking to snack on those few who still rustled about in search of food. The atmosphere now seemed more sleepy, the ambiance quieter as even the crickets began to lay down for the night, though a few owls still sounded off and a vixen cried in the distance. Above in the sky the shadowy silhouette of a large winged creature cloaked part of the forest in darkness as it circled above the moon, its piercing cry like an eagle if one could roar. As the night crept on and Dipper still lie sleeping beneath the cedar, dew beginning to cover his hair as the air cooled, something crept through the underbrush it's shadow passing over Dipper briefly before doubling back to cover him fully. 

With its back turned towards the beams of the moon, the creature seemed dark and towering against the tree's that loomed behind the sleeping boy. In the caress of darkness the figure seemed to sport two long coattails that hung from its hips. Human shaped hands seemed to tremble as it knelt downwards, sinking closer towards Dipper with the apprehension of a nervous rabbit. Slowly and carefully as though afraid Dipper could leap up at any moment, the stranger reached forward and touched the boy's forehead. Above the griffin called out into the sky, its massive wings rustling the tops of the young trees. The stranger stood and tilted their head towards the sky, the moon's beams illuminating strands of golden blond hair and glowing yellow eyes. with a steady gaze they watched the griffin double over head once more, its talons scraping the tops of the trees and knocking a few ends loose. 

"Oh no. Not today bird brains." the figure whispered, voice echoing ethereally from their throat. The stranger leaned down and shimmied his left arm under Dippers legs, the right arm reaching behind his head. In a swift motion he pulled the sleeping boy from the ground, a soft huff leaving his lungs from the effort. Still keeping an eye on the griffin, the blond stepped back a few paces from the tree, the branches above creaking and crashing as the griffin had dove down with it's talons extended out. The half eagle turned its head towards its quarry and the thing that had taken said quarry away, it's auburn eyes blinking as its head tilted side to side. The now opened up canopy illuminated the space below, the moon's beams penetrating through the broken branches and tree tops leaving the ground below glowing in a soft silver. 

There before the griffin stood a human looking creature whose eyes had no iris and whose pupils seemed stretched out like taffy. An excited grin stretched across the blonds face, their expression seeming much more menacing than a human face should even be capable, their arms had a firm grasp on Dipper who still slept soundlessly ignorant to the imminent threat of the griffin. "Look here you overgrown turkey. This forest, this town, this whole world is mine. And this boy? WELL that's mine too, I have a score to settle with this one and as much as I would LOVE to see his innards become outards I can't let you or any of these other knuckleheads snap him to bits you understand?" the griffin tilted its head to the other side, its wings stretching out past its body as it seemed to weigh its options. 

Cutting its losses the griffin took to the air, the gust its wings produces pushing back the twin tailcoats of the blonds jacket as well as ruffling Dippers hair. A soft snort left the blond as they glanced down towards the sleeping boy, golden eyes narrowed slightly "You would sleep through the apocalypse kid." The blond turned away from the penetrating moonlight, deeper into the forest towards the distant sounds of voices in the forest. Darkness enveloped the area and the journal, jacket and cap which Dipper had left behind were left to flutter in the breeze, the pen lost beneath the brush.


	5. Frjvat va yvrf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is back home but he has no idea how, and his grunkle seems very reluctant to share. Still, mysteries must be solved and the creatures in the forest wait for no one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I have about two weeks of vacation left so I'm going to make the most of it. Chapters will become more sparse as I head into my next semester but I promise to try to get at a minimum one a month. Thanks everyone who's shown their support so far :)

The sun filtered through the tinted stained glass window of Dipper's room, the beams bouncing off of a picture frame beside his night stand and causing him to turn slightly away from the offending light. Blearily he opened his eyes, the feeling of sheets beneath his fingers and a warm blanket skewed over his legs leaving him feeling a bit disoriented. He remembered being in the forest last, his aching leg a testament that he wasn't merely dreaming. Though still groggy, he glanced down to his legs his pants having been replaced with night shorts and his knee fully bandaged. 

Concern crossed his features and he glanced around, feeling entirely off about being back in his room. He leaned over to the side closest to his nightstand, his arm brushing over something rectangular and made of leather. He pulled back the covers, finding the journal tucked in at his side a strange note attached to the front via a sticky-note. He scratched at the back of his head, his hair tangled as if someone had left braids in it overnight. He narrowed his eyes at the note, beside himself at what kind of language or maybe code it could be the letters only dancing before tired weary eyes. 

Tbbq zbeavat Cvar Gerr, lbh unq dhvgr gur avtug ynfg avtug. Vg jnf...Abg sha FB yrg'f abg qb gung ntnva bx? Nyfb lbh yrsg guvf, svtherq lbh'q jnag vg onpx. KBKB...Abg ernyyl. Frr lbh va lbhe avtugznerf xvq! 

Dipper sighed, whomever it was had even bothered to use punctuation which was either really lazy or they wanted their point to be very, very clear. Pinning that down for investigation later, Dipper swung his legs over the side of the bed his knee aching slightly though it was not nearly as bad as it had been when he was last awake. He glared at the window for a moment, his gaze settling on the clock which showed 8:00am in bold blue letters. He smacked his lips together, his mouth actually feeling a little like cotton and his mind spent a moment mulling that over. 

"AUWWAGH!" Dipper's yelp stretched like a grater out of his throat and he fell back against the back wall, his brow beginning to sweat and his pulse quickening. From the stairs he could hear a cacophony of heavy footsteps, the sound almost like a parade or a small army racing up the creaky old boards to investigate the sound. Mabel was the first to swing the door open, the wooden structure bouncing off of the wall from the force it had hit it. Dipper looked to her with a wild expression, his hands and mouth trembling as he tried and failed for words. He didn't fail to notice his grunkles both behind Mabel, both looking as if they'd spent the entire night awake. 

"Dipper, it's ok just breath." grunkle Ford spoke up, a noticeable glaring given to him from grunkle Stan who looked a little more than bemused. "Is everything ok Dip Dop? I heard you scream...I thought maybe something was trying to eat you." Dipper just stared at his family with disbelief, his pulse finally settling just a little and his breaths coming out some-what normally. "Ok...Ok...Let's start with the basics...Yeah the basics." he looked up at his family with worry, his eyes feeling like his veins were pulsing behind them. "When did I get home?" he watched them all stiffen a little, grunkle Ford's expression nearly grave and his twins looking murderous. "We can talk about it later boy, for now just head down stairs and get some breakfast." Ford's dismissal left everyone but Mabel leaving his room, his twin looking a bit plussed as she flopped down on the end of his bed her hair sticking out like a crazed cat lady. 

"Mabel...I-" immediately he was left winded, his sister hugging him so tight it kind of hurt. "Six hours....We looked for you. Then...Grunkle Ford just kind of shows up with you looking like the world was ending all over again. Dipper...Don't you ever, ever do that to me again. If something had happened...If you had...Please don't go off on your own anymore." Mabel's voice was pleading, and Dipper could feel his shirt begining to dampen from the tears she was trying in vain to hide from him. Dipper reached over and awkwardly stroked her hair, guilt settling into his stomach as he looked down at his sister. "I'm sorry Mabel."

Mabel looked up at him and wiped some of the tears from her eyes, her worried expression being replaced with the usual glee "Let's go eat. I'd be willing to bet that you're pretty hungry bro-bro!" he smiled at his sister, glad to see some of her cheery nature returning. The thought of food left his stomach rumbling and he was reminded that his throat felt like it was bone dry, a harsh chuckle leaving him. "Starving actually. I could drink about two gallons of water too." Mabel giggle and ruffled the top of his hair before leaping off of the bed and dashing towards the door. "See you downstairs loser." she called out before disappearing down the steps. Dipper chuckled softly and glanced over to the side of the room where Mabel's bed use to be. Now instead there was a desk and a fairly out-dated computer which could be used for research and nothing else. He sighed and got up, depositing the journal on the desk's surface so he'd remember to look into that code later. 

Taking the time to actually get dressed, Dipper noticed the dirty clothes he'd worn yesterday crumpled up in a pile on the closet floor, his pants very stained and ripped up. He pulled on a pair of cotton shorts and a t-shirt before making his way downstairs, feeling like something was missing. He yawned as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, Mabel slaving away over the stove and his grunkles sitting uncomfortably close to each other, appearing to be fighting over who got the morning paper. Dipper withheld a chuckle as he watched his grunkles silently battling for page control, grunkle Ford obviously reading faster than grunkle Stan. "I made pancakes with everyone's faces!" Mabel announced, purposely switching up grunkle Fords and grunkle Stan's pancakes. The two older twins set each other into a glare before Stan took to drowning his brothers likeness in syrup and viciously tearing into it with a fork. 

Dipper smiled at Mabel, the two taking the syrup from Stan before he could use the entire bottle. The relationship between Stan and Ford was nowhere near the level of Mabel and Dippers, however they did tolerate each other better after weirdmaggeddon which made both of the younger twins happy. There was a kind of understanding between the four of them as they finished up their breakfast, the grunkles having decimated their own brothers facecakes with the same fervor that reminded Dipper a little of Bill which was a fairly strange thought. Finally they all exchanged glances, the Stans seeming to have calmed down from their earlier murderous tendencies towards one another. 

"Alright, so...How exactly did you find me-" Dipper spoke up through the silence only for grunkle Ford to abruptly stand up and look down at his bare wrist as if he were actually wearing a watch "Well...Look at that, sorry Dipper. Maybe next time. I have things to do down in the lab." Dipper faltered and held back the hurt look trying to cross his face, knitting together his brows instead "But...Grunkle Ford." Dipper tried hesitantly to get his great uncle's attention, however the elderly man had already disappeared from the kitchen and was out of earshot. "Don't take it too personally, poindexter wouldn't tell your sister or I either...I'm just...I need you in the workshop today so don't go running off." 

Dipper smiled meekly he and Mabel shared a knowing look. This was grunkle Stan's best way to show he cared the older man not much better at emotions than his twin brother. Accepting this as, as good as he was going to get, Dipper sighed heavily and glanced towards the window the outdoors seeming to beckon him to go exploring. "Look, bro bro...I know you love the forest but please just for one day don't go wondering off. For our sakes as well as yours." Mabel almost seeming to read Dippers thoughts, promptly took to cleaning up the breakfast mess. Dipper stood and hurried to help her despite how he still felt sore from yesterday. As they scrubbed away at the syrup drenched plates Dipper contemplated telling Mabel about the note he'd found on the journal however, he decided he'd wait until he knew what it said just incase it was just a secret message from Ford. "Kids! Shops opening in ten minutes." grunkle Stan's voice echoed out through the hallway and the twins shared a look that was between annoyed and just complacent the two wandering off to go attend to their great uncle's business. 

.....

The morning wound down into the afternoon and Wendy sat with Dipper and Mabel on the roof, the three teenagers laughing as they hurled acorns at the totem poles face. "So anyways, Robbie and Lee just started throwing soda everywhere. You totally should have been there Dipper, that party was insane." Dipper laughed and rubbed at the back of his neck, eyes occasionally glancing towards the tree line. "Sorry, maybe next time Wendy. How's your dad by the way?" Dipper questioned in a lame attempt to change the subject. He watched as Wendy's face twisted into an apathetic scowl her eyes scrunching together "Oh...Don't even get me started, just this morning he broke the toilet seat. I love him, I do but he just causes a huge mess sometimes." Dipper and Mabel both laughed and recounted their morning with the Stans, the teens all passing each other sodas. "Hey Dip, looks like you've got another tourist kid." Wendy gestured to a blond boy wandering around the outskirts of the shack, the boy looking uncomfortable and perhaps a little lost. 

Dipper sighed and hurried down the ladder they used to get to the roof, straightening his shirt as he reached the bottom. Just in case, Dipper grabbed on of the Gravity Falls maps from a display on the counter. Not feeling like suckering the poor kid out of his money Dipper left a five dollar bill on the counter for Grunkle Stan who gave him a slight glare "I don't pay you so you can return the money kid!" Stan called out and Dipper had to refrain from mentioning that he didn't pay them at all, instead he got that money from helping Sheriff Blubs two days ago with a Gnome problem. He paused as he swung open the door leading to the porch, an uneasy feeling suddenly drawing him from darting out too fast as he regarded the other boy. The smile on the older teens face felt unnatural and Dipper could have sworn that just a minute ago his green eyes were yellow.

Worried that he was still paranoid from dealing with Bill a year ago Dipper straightened and pulled out what was as close to a genuine smile as he could. The other teen couldn't have been but around Wendy's age, he was tall though not quite lanky. His blond hair had some evidence of brunet roots and his skin was dark be it tanned or simply naturally so, Dipper couldn't say. "Hey there, here to see the excitement and fear that is the mystery shack?" Dipper called out as he came towards the other teen, his mind entertaining the thought that Wendy would find him cute. The boy finally looked over at Dipper, the unnatural seeming smile appearing as just a nervous one while the kids hands fiddled with the under-hanging edges of a white dress shirt under his yellow sweater vest. "I um...Was here earlier and...I went for a walk...I...I found thisinthewoodsandfigureditwasyours!" the teen stuttered at first before talking all too fast, shoving a blue and white cap at dipper. With a concerned expression Dipper took the cap and lifted it to expose the inside, his name written under the bill. "Wait...You found this in the woods? Thanks. Um...Would you like to come in, at least until your folks catch up with you?" Dipper felt a bit of reserved worry but he was all too glad to have his cap back. He knew they had a bunch like it in the gift shop so he didn't question why the kid brought it here. 

The boy smiled meekly, green eyes glancing towards the roof of the shack where Mabel and Wendy were waving down at them. "I'm...William." the boy spoke, not really responding to Dippers request. Rubbing his arm awkwardly Dipper stared up at Wendy and Mabel and idea popping in his head "Hey, Wendy! Toss me down a pitt and cover for me ok?" he called up, Wendy sending him a thumbs up and giving off their own little secret agreement signal. She tossed him a can of pitt cola which he fumbled with for a moment before successfully catching it. He glanced slightly towards William, an amused smile briefly flashing across the teens face. He gestured for William to follow him to the backside of the shack, not wanting Grunkle Stan to see him leading a potential customer into the less museumy parts of the building. Silent and giving off a nervous air William stalked behind him, the taller teen casting a long shadow over Dipper as the midday sun blared down upon them. "How long will you be in gravity falls?" Dipper asked letting some of his paranoia seep away since he had his back turned and the kid didn't attack him yet.

He heard a soft laugh come from William, the sound a little bit more than just pathetic. "I...I'm not sure, I guess until I...Until my friend finishes his business here and then I suppose I'll be back to um...Portland." Dipper was pleased that William hadn't stuttered quite as much, and he figured that there was a chance the kid was just shy and not just hiding something though the thoughts TRUST NO ONE were still very prevalent in his mind. "Portland huh? Never been out that way myself. Did you come by train or by bus? Or maybe you drove...Are you even old enough to drive?" Dipper quickly found himself rambling, his face flushing pink as he realized that he was speaking a bit fast. He couldn't quite explain why he was feeling so nervous, it's not like he was getting any bad vibes from the kid...Oh wait... "I um...Took the train and then grabbed a bus here. My friend doesn't...He shouldn't be allowed to drive." 

Dipper found himself grinning at what he assumed was a cheap attempt at a joke from William, the other teen more awkward about people than even Dipper and that felt like an accomplishment. He took the other teen to the other side of the shack and approached the back door, giving William a concerned glance when the boy didn't immediately follow. "Hey...It's ok to come in. We don't bite. I mean the goat might but he's pretty much harmless." William still didn't budge and Dipper found himself growing a little nervous, drawing closer towards the door instinctively. "I um...I appreciate...But m...my friend wouldn't be happy. I'm sorry Dipper I have to go." William sputtered out before sprinting off faster than Dipper would have imagined him capable. Dipper stood completely dumbfounded, not sure if he really was seeing tears at the corner of the boy's eyes or if he'd just imagined it. "Well...At least I have my cap back." Dipper muttered, looking down to the pitt cola in his hand that he'd never gotten the chance to hand to William. He got the striking feeling that he'd be seeing that boy again though. 

.....

As the evening sun began to dip down below the horizon William slowed his pace, his pulse beating quickly against his neck and his breaths a little labored. He paused as he came up to a clear pond, the water completely transparent under the dimming light of day. He knelt down infront of the pool and cupped his hands in front of him, an orb of water drifting upwards and creating a sphere in his hands that was neither solid nor liquid. "He...He was really nice." William spoke to himself, a warm smile bracing his features as he stared at his reflection in the orb green eyes reflecting back to him. Behind him he could make out the silhouette of another individual, their hands seeming to be placed on their hips though the orb distorted the view so he couldn't be sure. 

He cringed back a bit as the figure seemed to be tapping their foot the image of Williams reflection suddenly being replaced with a single glowing eye within the orb. In moments the boy drew limp, the water pouring out of his hands without ever actually wetting them as if it were repulsed all of a sudden. The teen looked back down into the pool with an unnatural grin, golden eyes reflecting back in the shimmering water before the evening light completely died out, casting an almost foreboding shadow over the forest as the night time creatures came to life, the air filling with fireflies and fairies.


	6. Gur Erghea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is unsettled by the note left for him on the journal, too many questions in his mind and too many theories. What he does know is that his paranoia is back and he's worried for his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its so late, I got caught up in school stuff and I lost my editor so I have to fix the chapters errors myself now which takes time XD.

Dipper stared at the code book, sheets of paper piling up on the floor behind him as he tried code after code trying to figure out which one was used on the note. He pinched between the bridge of his nose, brown eyes staring wearily at the pages, letters beginning to dance across it. Downstairs he could hear Stan and Mabel cheering over what was presumably another episode of ducktective, the show going on too long in his personal opinion. Dipper sighed and flipped the page, pausing as he came across the Caesar Cipher. 

A scowl crossed his face and he glanced back towards the code. "I am so...What do you take me for a simpleton?" Dipper ground out, his teeth gritting together in irritation. He made a mock Caesar circle, rigging the inner circle to rotate. He made a new pile of papers, testing different rotations until finally he got a sensible sentence out. He stared down at the page, the thirteenth rotation being the only fruitful one though he was seriously hoping he was wrong. 

"Good morning Pine Tree, you had quite the night last night. It was...Not fun SO let's not do that again ok? Also you left this, figured you'd want it back. XOXO...Not really. See you in your nightmares kid!"

Dipper glared at the page as if it would will the note to change its message. He wanted to believe Mabel was pulling a very twisted prank on him, the nickname used in the greeting uncomfortably familiar, however they both still found the certifiably insane triangle to be a sore subject, both of them pretty dead set on forgetting he ever existed. Not that it was really possible considering the clean-up they were still doing. He grabbed the note, as well as the cipher, and decoded page before running down the stairs in a hurry. He rushed passed the living room giving a half wave to Mabel and Stan who both shot him a confused look. He only stopped as he came to the vending machine, carefully punching in the code just in case gruncle Ford had decided to change it or something. He sighed slightly to himself when he found it was still the same, the door sliding open and opening into a set of stairs. 

He followed it down until it reached the elevator, pressing the three first figuring it'd be less likely to find his gruncle on the second floor which was covered in tributes to...well he figured it was best not to dwell on that. Dipper held the pages, and rotating cipher close to his chest, the elevator creaking precariously in protest before opening with a slight jerk into the lab. He saw his gruncle scrunched over his desk, a thick headband likely from a pair of heavy duty goggles, over his head. The space that was slightly separated from the disassembled portal was even more cluttered than when Dipper had last ventured down here, even more cages stacked on top of each other with some small magical creatures that looked like escapee's from the sweep they did of Armageddons monstrosities. If Ford had heard him come down he made no signs to show it which left just the scratching of bars, and the etching of Ford's pen against a piece of paper to fill the silence. 

Standing awkwardly for a moment Dipper cleared his throat, his gruncle turning in alarm to stare at dipper. The goggles gave his great uncle a kind of evil genius look which Dipper mused was very befitting of the seventy-something year old. Dipper could also practically feel Ford's gaze drift from Dipper to the papers in his hand, face turning to a scowl. "What have you got there boy?" Ford sounded incredibly annoyed, and Dipper began to reconsider bothering his gruncle no matter the implications that the note gave. He stared towards his left trying to find some excuse, not even really sure why he felt so awkward around his great uncle whom he'd looked up to since he was twelve. He pensively returned his gaze to Ford's, the expectant glare from the other making this even more uncomfortable for Dipper. 

Resigned Dipper slowly stepped back, his gaze returning to the side "Never mind...It's not important." he mumbled trying to back away. Before he could really react his great uncle got up from his seat and yanked the papers from Dipper's hands, taking them back over to his desk. The older man made a slightly satisfied noise as he surveyed Dippers handy work, spinning the circle slowly as though he was double checking each rotation. He watched at first with astute curiosity as Ford worked at the cipher, the elderly mans expression indiscernible from where Dipper was standing. 

An immovable silence filled the space, leaving the him of machines and scraping of the wheel turning sounding loudly against Dipper's ear drums. Unsure of what to do with himself, Dipper gazed around the lab room, eyeing caged or jarred creatures who fluttered and hissed with dissatisfaction. One of the creatures had an uncomfortably long tongue which it was waggling back and forth while eyeing Dipper menacingly, the young teen giving it a look of disgust. Dipper tore his gaze from the weird remnants of Bill's nightmare, and looked back towards his gruncle who was finally beginning to show signs of moving. The silence passed as gruncle Ford rose from his seat, his back still turned to Dipper though he had the note gripped firmly in his hands.

Hope crossed Dipper's face, which was instantly crushed as soon as the old man turned and walked straight for an incinerator, which he had installed after the weirdmageddon incident as a "Just in case the government comes snooping" measure, dropping everything but the Caesar circle in it. A strangled and confused cry left Dipper's throat, anger driving him nearly to tears as he searched his great uncle's face for answers. He found nothing but cold indifference, before the elder turned his back and returned to what he was doing without so much as exchanging a word. Dipper mustered the courage to step forward and take the cipher wheel from Ford before anymore damage could be done, quickly acquiescing towards the elevator the encounter leaving his stomach churning in an unpleasant way while his mind tried in vain to understand. 

He slumped against the back wall of the elevator, brown eyes staring numbly at the wall. It felt like he was still twelve, and Bill was a looming possibility but Ford was shutting him out. His mind still brooded over what happened as he walked back towards the hallway, passing the living room on his way to the stairs. He tried his best to slip past Mabel unnoticed but he knew as soon as he heard her footsteps behind him that she'd caught his crestfallen expression. Reluctantly he let her into his room, the pile of failed decoding attempts laying all over the floor. He didn't need to see her face to know Mabel disapproved of his mess, though he didn't really have the energy to clean it up so instead he flopped down on his bed feeling the weight of everything settle down on him. "So what happened Dipper?" Mabel's curiosity should have been comforting but Dipper could only find himself dwelling on disparity, his gaze set on the pages strewn by his desk. 

"Mabel...When I...the other night I left my journal in the woods. When I got up it was right here," Dipper paused to pat the spot where he'd found the journal on his bed, "with a note on it. I finally got it decoded so I took it to Ford hoping he could help me figure out who wrote it but instead of helping he burned it and just...Do you think he hates me?" Dipper could feel the mattress shift as Mabel readjusted, her hand placed gently over her twins back "Aaw Dipper, Ford doesn't hate you. If anything he was worried sick. Just give him a little time. Y'know if you really feel the need to go track down the origin of the note, it sounds like a pretty good job for the world renown mystery twins." 

Dipper laughed and shook his head, a soft smile stretching across his mouth "No it's ok. It was more of the principle than anything." He sat up to face Mabel now, giving her a pat on the shoulder "thanks for listening Mabel." The more boisterous of the twins gave off a toothy grin before she hopped off of the bed "No probs bro-bro. You know you can always come to me if you need me." Dipper gave his sister an appreciative smile, waving to her as she bounded out of the room at the loud call of their great uncle Stan. Dipper sighed and laid back once more, facing the faded trellis ceiling. A glob of green mold stretched across one of the wooden support beams standing as an astute example to the dilapidated state of the shacks interior let alone the exterior which was riddled with patches put up by Soos. 

.....

The moon penetrated the stain glass window in Dippers room, it's silvery beams appearing almost yellowed from the triangular cut, gold tinted glass. Dipper stared at the beams as they created an almost eerie shadow over his floor, the triangle seeming to stretch up the wall. His mind ran over the days events, his vision bleary with exhaustion. He kept bouncing between Ford, the note, and the strange boy named William. He couldn't get past the desire to start connecting dots, and pin things to his cork board, but he felt like he knew too little. There were three obvious variables to him, their attitudes and appearances too perfectly lined up for him to pass them off as coincidence, but he couldn't find how they connected,especially without knowing how Ford found him the other night. Pinching the space between his eyes he sighed, his free hand fiddling with his blanket while he considered what to do with his restless mind. His eyes wandered towards one of the corners of the room, a shabby old bookshelf barely supporting the weight of its contents. He could just barely make out the shapes of the crammed in books, the titles organized by subject rather than alphabetically. Resigning himself to his awakened state he unfurled himself from the warmth of his blanket, the thin comforter pooling in a heap at the edge of his bed. He padded across the wooden floors, silently berating himself for every squeak and groan they made as his feet made contact. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he came to the bookshelf, the moon light barely enough to illuminate the titles though he felt he knew pretty much all of the by now. 

He traced the backs, some of them cracked from use, and stopped right before a fairly large book that whose leather backing was faded and scratched. He pulled it from the shelf and made his way back towards his bed, the gold lief title shimmering in the light of the moon. He stared longingly at his bed, part wishing to curl back into his comforter and go to sleep but he had committed himself to being awake so instead he turned towards the window, unlatching it and pushing the panels open. Cool summer air pushed into the room, the smell of mold and forest filling Dipper's nose and making him smile slightly. He climbed out onto the window ledge, carefully gripping at the roof's sloping arch as he shimmied his way across to Wendy's chill spot. Taking a seat in the worn down pool chair, Dipper took a moment to stare across the yard, the woods a cluster of ambiguous shapes from across the lawn. Turning the cover over, he glanced briefly at the index tracing the numbers until he found which section he wanted flipping the pages with a blanketed apathy towards the contents. He finally stopped on the beginning of a chapter on Sumerian myths. Bold headings and diagrams laid out before him, the words written in a small script similar to a text book. It was a bit of a dry read but Dipper found pieces of information useful, taking particular interest in the ancient gods and monsters mentioned with an epic labeled Enuma Elish. 

The silent wisps of wind chilled the roof top and Dipper drew his legs closer to him, eyes even heavier from spending a good chunk of his time reading. He could feel himself beginning to drift off and he considered going back to his bed, but he was also completely comfortable where he was and it wasn't like Mabel would have too hard of a time finding him since he slept out here often enough since their return to gravity falls. That thought brought him back to the note that had been attached to the Journal his mind both having no doubts that it was left by Bill, while still being completely uncertain as to how the dream demon they had trapped in the nightmare realm behind the mindscape could have possibly escaped, physically written a note, gotten past the barrier Ford had them put up with unicorn hair a year ago, and not have destroyed half of gravity falls by now. As he drifted into a comfortable sleep his dreams were filled with wild and terrifying imagery, monsters with mouths on their ears and a towering pyramid. The world around him blazed furiously, the tree's crumpling to dust and the dirt a muddy brick red. He stood inside the room at the top of the pyramid, the eye of it actually a window that looked out into the chaos below but Dipper was facing the towering being in front of him, a long triangular shadow passing over him and a voice echoing the question "What are you going to do huh kid?" 

.....

"Dipper really, again?" Mabel's voice and the blaring morning sun aroused Dipper from his sleep. Lazily he yawned, arms stretching outwards along with his legs. A scratchy over blanket falling off of him as he moved. In his half-awake state he stared down at it dumbfounded, confusion crossing his features, "Did you put this on me?" Dipper tried to form a coherent sentence but sleep gargled his words and Mabel was just staring at him with a half angry, half amused expression. "No dummy, I have been looking for you for like thirty minutes now. You probably just forgot you brought it up here. Now get inside, we're making eggs for breakfast, and don't you dare run off first thing because Stan wants us to help out in the shop until noon." Dipper groaned loudly and rolled out of the chair, the material left with a slight impression from his body and his hair wet with morning dew "Mabs...I had no intentions of running off right after breakfast. Just let me change and I'll be right down ok?" he felt no remorse for lying about wanting to run off into the woods today, the day he spent cooped up too much for his over-active mind plus he thought a walk would clear his mind and let him think over the note from yesterday. Mabel seemed satisfied enough and she opened the latch to the roof, her eyes narrowing slightly at her brother "Be sure to bathe. You smell awful." she directed to him before descending the ladder. Dipper grumbled and carefully made his back to his window cill, pushing the panes open and crawling back into the room. He surveyed his slightly messy room for a moment before he trudged over towards the closet to pick out some fresh clothes from the hangers. Not having worn through everything he had packed yet, he took out a short sleeved black t-shirt and a pair of jeans,his mind already mourning the loss of his favorite jacket. In lue of his blue short vest he grabbed a plain gray hoodie and his cap. shuffling towards the bathroom to shower,, his feet tingled from the cool wooden floors, the stairs creaking slightly under his weight. He knew full well Mabel wouldn't let him sit at the table until he smelled considerably less like Waddles. 

After cleaning up, his wet hair sticking like the head of a limp mop to his head, Dipper made his into the kitchen. He played with the pull strings of his hoodie, sliding each one back and forth. The smell of eggs and toast drifted through the hallway from the kitchen and he quickened his pace. He sat down next to Mabel's seat and across from great uncle Ford's, the older man skimming over the morning paper. He watched Ford's brows knit together in concentration while his fingers twirled a fork between them. "Alright ingrates. Enjoy. Mabel almost dumped glitter into these so be glad I took over." Gruncle Stan sounded more gruff this morning than usual, the bags under his eyes heavily prominent and his shirt stained with butter grease. Dipper decided against asking and instead looked down at the gooey scrambled eggs Stan had panned onto his plate, slapping down two pieces of slightly over-cooked toast. "Hey, there is nothing wrong with galaxy eggs. Plus it was edible glitter." Mabel retorted, her arms crossed over her puffy maroon sweater an orange tabby stitched likely by hand onto the front of it. "Mable, sweety. You think -all- glitter is edible." Stan shot back, accidentally bumping into his twin brother as he made some exuberant hand gestures. 

Dipper smiled halfheartedly at his family and got to work on eating his breakfast. He could feel gruncle Ford shooting him an occasional stare from across the table, the reclusive researcher getting up soundlessly and suddenly before cleaning his plate. He looked at Dipper one last time, expression veiled before he disappeared from sight likely to return to the lab. Dipper let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding, suddenly feeling a lot less hungry now, though he forced himself to eat more anyways since he wanted to go exploring later. "Kid, don't look so down." Stan's earnest albeit begrudging concern was a little reassuring and Dipper just smiled half fondly at his great uncle before going to clean off his own plate. "Alright well...Do you want me to start cleaning up the shop, or..." Dipper paused not liking the smile his great uncle was giving him. "I want you to run tours today Dipper. You need the practice, plus it's not healthy to completely be unsocial at your age. You'll turn out like poindexter down there." Dipper groaned and trudged back upstairs, knowing there was no way Stan would let him run the tours in anything but a suit. He undressed and redressed himself, leaving his other clothes on his bed so he could change back into them later. He marched into the bathroom and slicked back his hair, grimacing at the sheer amount of jell it took before he gave himself a once over and a nod. 

The tours seemed to dredge on, waves of tourists coming in off of a tour bus which Dipper had no doubts looked like a big wad of money to his great uncle. He had one tour going through the museum part of the shack and then ran another through a small portion of the woods. He was happy to go through the woods, a few faeries taking the liberty of coming out to pester a few straggling tourists. After strong assurances that everything was "100%" real the tourists had passed off the faeries as just another part to the tour. Now the main bulk of the crowd had died down and tourists were heading back to their vehicles with gifts in hand and chattering children at their heels. Dipper was leaned up against a post to the shack, his only visible eye glaring at the blaring summer sun as if it were sentient. He adjusted the eye patch he'd been forced to wear and pushed back some loose strands of his hair. Running the tours wasn't particularly hard, in fact when Mabel had been boss for a day during their first summer he'd found he had a knack for deceiving others. He sighed quietly as he heard some footsteps, his eyes lifting upwards and his plastered smile crossing his face as he turned towards the customer. His smile shifted to genuine surprise as he found himself standing across from the timid boy from yesterday, the teen now wearing a faded yellow t-shirt and jeans instead of a heavy sweater-vest. "Hey there...Um..William was it?" Dipper greeted, the blonde smiling timidly at him his green eyes staring towards the shack briefly. "Um...A...Are you still giving tours in the woods?" Will asked sheepishly mumbling something about it being ok if he wasn't. Dipper glanced about the yard, the rest of the tourists seeming to be inside at the moment. 

He smiled at Will and motioned the teen closer, the blond doing so reluctantly. "I have to go ask gruncle Stan if it's ok. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be in a big group. Just sit here, and I'll get you a pitt Cola. Any flavor you like in particular?" Dipper was still a little suspicious of Will, the boy showing up kind of out of no where and so far Dipper hadn't seen him with his "friend" that he'd come here with, but he figured he'd be nice so long as the guy seemed to be causing no harm. William gave him an appreciative smile, and stood in a way that suggested he was just going to diligently wait "Um...Cherry." Will replied, rubbing at his arm. Dipper smiled and wondered back into the shack. He explained the situation to Stan and after some clever word play he had somehow managed to con a con man into not only letting him do what he wanted, but to take food and drinks out to the other teen, free of charge. A curious Mable stuck her head out of the shack door as Dipper bounded out with his contraband, her lips pulled up into a smirk "I see your hat's hero has returned. Hey ask him if he has a girlfriend." Mabel commented, snickering as Dipper shot her a pointed glare. 

"Here, one pitt and a bag of chips. It's not much but it's all I could convince my great uncle to part with." Dipper announced with a chuckle, handing the other boy the cherry soda. Will gave him an appreciative smile, staring at the pitt with a momentary flash of what looked like disgust before he popped the tab and took a long sip. Dipper smiled slightly at the enthusiasm from Will, his mind entertaining the idea that maybe he didn't have anywhere decent to stay while he was here and no good access to food after all Gravity Falls didn't have hotels. "So...Um...About the tour?" William piped up, looking at Dipper with a timid eagerness that made him smile. "Well sir, if you want to know about spooky monsters and haunted woods than you have come to the right place. Step right up and I will take you through a journey to a world unlike any other but here on earth!" Dipper recited his lines like a professional, watching the excited sparkle emerge in the other teen's eyes. He heartily explained some of the fake attractions great uncle Stan had put up on the way to the woods, strangely enjoying the multitude of muttered questions Will would pose. He paused as he came to the entrance of the tour trail, giving off an eerily grim look for effect "Mind you, curious adventurer for these woods hold untold secrets. And be warned for the last tour group didn't make it our alive!" Dipper waved his hands dramatically, grinning as Will broke out into laughter. "I um...Think I can handle it." 

The pines and cedars towered over head as Dipper lead Will into the worn down trail they used for the tours. This area was the most safe and the local faeries and occasional gnomes made these tours a little more interesting, on top of the weird fake concoctions Stan had his brother and Fiddleford help him make. William chuckled quietly as a large mechanical bat swooped down on a pulley wire over head, its head replaced with that of a falcons. "That was the infamous Falcobat, they say it feasts on the toes of naughty children." Dipper recounted, glancing back at Will who paused to have an almost maniacal giggle fit. "That...That's hilarious." he wheezed, smiling earnestly at Dipper. For not the first time he thought to himself that someone (in this case Mable) would probably think he was cute. The forest seemed to get darker as the trail went in a little further, none of the faeries that were out earlier seeming to be fluttering about at the moment. Dipper quietly sighed under his breath, starting to feel a little tired from running tours all day. He glanced back towards William who was examining another one of Stan's weird creature-cross overs with mild fascination. He debated cutting the tour short but another thought crossed his mind and he waved William over.

The blond was quick to catch up, a smile seeming to be his default setting "I know this all terribly fascinating but what would you say to ditching the trail and taking a break somewhere with an awesome view?" Dipper tried to hide the hopeful edge to his voice but judging from the way William's lip quirked up, he'd certainly caught on. "Sure. I wouldn't be opposed." Grateful to get away from the hoaxes, Dipper turned off onto a less trodden path, the ground crunching from twigs and pine needles. Dipper drank in the familiar smells of the forest, brown eyes surveying the small squirrels that scampered across the brush in search of food. He could hear William keeping up behind him and he felt a lot less weary about being out in the woods alone with someone he barely knew than he probably should have, especially since Will had seemed to unnerve him when they first met.

The boys trucked through the forest at a leisurely pace, Dipper's suit making this adventure a lot less fun than it could have been. He felt relieved as the trees clear out over head, opening into a clearing with a clear stream running through it. Various summer flowers were blooming in the ankle high weeds, making the clearing seem like something Mabel would have painted on her glitter rainbow pancakes on accident. Dipper snickered to himself at the thought, his mind wondering back to how Mabel was handling the shop and if Stan was having a stroke over Dipper being gone so long or not. "Wow...This place is...Pretty." William spoke from behind Dipper and all thoughts of Stan's attitude were left behind. Dipper decided he deserved to just be a teenager for once instead of always being the responsible one so he sat down in the grass, some of the weeds towering slightly over his head. He smiled at William as the other teen sat across from him, the blond taking the bags of chips out of his pants pockets (Dipper decided not to ask how he even managed to stuff them in there in the first place) handing one of them to Dipper. "This is where I come sometimes when I just want to think. It's honestly my third favorite spot here in Gravity Falls." Dipper admitted, watching some dragonflies dancing around each other above the stream. 

"You sure know a lot about...these woods." William commented, staring at Dipper in what Dipper could only assume was slight admiration. Nervously he scratched the back of his head, eyes avoiding looking at William "I guess. I mean this is my second summer here and I practically live and breathe these woods." he joked, grinning at William who chuckled in response. "That's really cool though...I mean...My friend isn't really partial to forests but I love them...I really love the streams though...The way the water flows through the forest providing the means of living for everything in them...From the tree's, to the smallest of insects the streams are the life blood of a forest. Plus they're really peaceful." William was now staring adoringly at the stream near by, his smile genuine and reminding Dipper of how he sometimes got when talking about the super natural. A sense of familiarity ran through him and he recognized the way William felt about something that to anyone else would be silly or mundane. "You're right Will. Streams are amazing." Dipper agree'd, not missing the beaming smile the blond gave him. 

.....

The sun was now high in the sky indicating that it was close to noon but Dipper felt no real desire to start heading back. The beams of light were a bit stiflingly warm against his suit and his hair had already started to come out of its slicked back shape. He smiled and laid against the weeds, a cicada buzzing over head and a few puffy clouds crossing a bright blue sky. The grass rustled beside of him, William come beside him and mimicking his position so he too could look up at the sky. The blond laughed to himself piquing Dipper's curiosity which he expressed through a raised brow. "I was just thinking...The sun is kind of like a big ball of universe fart." William admitted, the two teens snickering at the comment. Dipper never really thought of it that way before, though he'd been taught that the sun was just gasses that were constantly burning "Oh man...You're a riot Will." Dipper smiled at William, who turned his head away obviously a little embarrassed "Oh not really. But I mean. If you think so." 

Dipper chuckled feeling the warmth of the summer day lulling him into sleep, his eyes droopy as he watched some birds flitting about in the sky. Before he was even really aware he'd dozed off, the sounds of insects buzzing around him and the gentle flow of the stream echoing off of the tree's. "Enjoying your play-date pine tree?" the echo-y voice caused Dipper to jolt awake, his pulse rushing and his eyes frantically searching the clearing force the source. He caught his breath when he realized the only thing there with him other than the forest creatures was William, who was looking at him with obvious concern. "Sorry Will, didn't mean to startle you...I just thought. Never mind. Maybe we should head back though, my family will probably be worried." he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. William smiled meekly at him and stood up, brushing some grass from his pants while Dipper brushed off his suit. The two headed back the way they came in relative silence, William seeming to respect the fact that Dipper didn't really want to talk about what had gotten him so spooked. 

The woods emptied out into the yard of the shack, a hippie style van parked out front probably belonging to some tourist. "Hey um...Dipper." Dipper paused and turned towards William, the blond hesitating towards the edge of the forest. "Yeah Will?" Dipper felt that nervous energy he'd felt about Will the first day they'd met suddenly re-manifesting though he couldn't place the source of it. Guilt accompanied this, his mind reminding him that he'd just gone through the woods alone with this guy and fell asleep near him. Considering that he was still in one piece, his suspicion felt unjustified. He was pulled back from his internal argument as Will cleared his throat, his eyes looking weary and his expression best described as on edge "I um...I had fun...Today...Can we hang out...Tomorrow maybe? I mean it's perfectly ok if...If that's not a thing you'd want to do." A sigh left Dipper, the brunet silently cursing himself for assuming that Will was up to no good. It was likely that other than this "friend" he had, Will didn't know anyone in Gravity Falls and was just looking for someone to talk to. "Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow Will. Just stop by the shack, if I'm not there one of my relatives should be able to tell you where to find me." William smiled at Dipper before darting back into the woods, the boy gone before Dipper could really say much else. He laughed to himself, heading back to the shack while reflecting on that voice he heard while snoozing. Maybe he really was just paranoid.


	7. Zrrg Zr Ng Zvqavtug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper gets a request from a stranger that seems harmless, but as an old enemy resurfaces, he's not so sure he's ready to be thrust back into the secrets of Gravity Falls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter. It feels kind of sad, if you don't count the prologue we're six chapters in and Bill is just now making his grand appearance. Ah well.

"I don't let you stay here with me, and pay you to work the shop just so you can slack off kid. Where the blazing sunlight have you been Dipper? Do you even know what time it is?" Dipper sighed as his great uncle paced back and forth, the grey haired old man waving his arms expressively as he accentuated his words in a deliberately sprayish fashion. The bubbling sensation he's come to recognize as teenage angst overwhelmed him for a moment and allowed pure idiodicy to spew forth from his mouth "Ok first of all, you don't pay me anything. I make money by helping people around town, secondly this isn't just your home, It's Ford's as well. And thirdly, if you weren't so busy working us to the bone and treating me like I'm an idiot, than maybe I wouldn't have to sneak around to be able to enjoy myself." 

Regret immediately followed as Stan's expression turned sour, the old man's veins popping against his neck in an eerily pool-check kind of way. Mabel had come into the doorway just long enough to catch onto the heavy atmosphere before she wisely backed away, her eyes darting between her twin and great uncle. "That's really how you want to play it Dipper? If you're so grown up and smart then how about we propose a bet?" Dipper severely disliked the way his great uncle worded that statement and he strongly considered backing out, but that small and inconceivably dumb part of him that holstered his pride, decided to take him up on that challenge. "Alright old man. Name your terms." 

An ominous grin crossed gruncle Stan's face, the seventy-something year old laughing darkly to himself before shuffling off into the living room leaving Dipper mortified. He crossed glances with Mabel, her expression something along the lines of "What did you do?" and "Are you INSANE?" though she didn't seem capable of wording such thought. "Um...Honestly...I'm probably doomed." Dipper spoke up, reading into what his sister's gaping (kind of fish out of water-like) expression was supposed to mean. "Oh yeah, you are all sorts of on your own for this one bro-bro. I swear, you boys should learn to just talk out your problems while passive-aggressively plotting each other's deaths like girls do." Mabel's idea of support was generally, well, unsupportive which meant that Dipper had both metaphorically and likely physically dug his own grave. 

Deciding he'd give Stan time to devise a plan, Dipper made his way up to his room. The prospect of changing out of the terrible suit and washing the gel out of his hair suddenly seeming more handsome an idea than rewinding time and telling Dipper of ten minutes ago to shut up and mind his own business. Wallowing in self pity Dipper peeled off layers of clothing, including his socks before happily changing into the outfit he'd picked out earlier in the day, forgoing the hoodie just incase he needed to escape from Stan's wrath. Downstairs he could hear the T.V. blaring, some kind of horror film playing which honestly wasn't helping his paranoia at all. Worst part for him was, that he was certain Stan was doing it on purpose. 

....

After flushing a ridiculous amount of gel from his hair, and spending the rest of the afternoon trying to clean the shack in an attempt to get back on Stan's good side, Dipper found himself sitting at an uncomfortably quiet dinner table with even Mabel seeming a bit unsettled. It probably didn't help that great uncle Ford was the one who cooked, the food on the plate looking more like one of Bill's nightmare creatures and less like consumable food than usual. The older twins would only occasionally glance to each other, Stan making some off hand comment about the food looking like toxic waste before the entire family was sitting in an air of discomfort. It passed like this for a while but Dipper, wanting another of the fairly more edible dinner rolls, decided to brave the tension in the room and clear his throat "Can I um...Have another roll please?" he immediately regretted this when Stan gave him a wicked grin the older man pushing up his sleeves and ignoring a pointed glare sent to him by his twin. "Only if you can pay for ten, no, twenty percent of the grocery bill." 

Annoyance and disbelief were the first two emotions Dipper found himself faced with, his expression undoubtedly incredulous as he glanced over his great uncle. He knew he was bristling and Mabel's hand on his shoulder only served as a way to confirm this, though awareness of it didn't stop that one little part of him from rearing it's ugly, sarcastic head again. "Fine. Maybe if I pay for some of the food we'll actually get something that isn't questionably within the sell by date and doesn't look like it crawled out of weirdmaggedon." that vein that Dipper was suddenly becoming very accommodated with start to twitch along Stan's neck again, the old man grinning despite the laughter passing his twins lips. "Finally growing a pair, eh kid? What do you think poindexter, maybe I should give him a little bit of that tough love dad use to give us?" at this remark, great uncle Ford stopped laughing his expression something between serious and upset.

"Stanley, I know you haven't forgotten what you were like when you were Dipper's age. And if I recall correctly you threw such a fit and huffed around so much that you got kicked out. I don't know about you but I'd personally like for Mabel AND Dipper to return here next summer." The voice of reason seemed just enough to get Stan to pause, the old man considering his brother's words for a full two seconds before his gaze pointedly turned to Dipper. The subject of Stan's scrutiny was busy questioning if he had gotten a concussion or something when he fell asleep in the woods, his manners usually a lot better than they have been all things considered. "Alright wisecrack. Three days you make your own money, buy your own food, and make dinner. If you can manage this then I'll consider letting you off from some work."

That was a deal too good to be true, like almost to the level in which Bill would make one and Dipper knew it...But still part of him really wanted to prove to Stan that after everything they had all been through, he deserved a little fun this summer instead of working the whole time. "Fine. In exchange, you have to prove that you can cook something other than macaroni and cheese. Without burning it." a backlash challenge was the kind of thing one would expect from Mabel, and Dipper did not leave unnoticed the pride in both her and Stan's eyes, though gruncle Ford looked absolutely mortified. "Deal. In fact. Tomorrow I'll clean up that little storage shed way out back and you can stay in there for your little venture. Don't worry you can pay me to turn the electricity back on." 

Bad idea vibes were all over Dipper and he seriously considered copping out, which, if his face was any indicator, was exactly what gruncle Ford was begging him to do. Dipper looked over to gruncle Stan the man's expression stern and rather smug which only served as another annoyance to Dipper, the young teen questioning his choices for all of about three seconds before he reached his hand out to shake his uncle's hand. "Dipper...The last time you made a deal with someone, you got possessed." Mabel not too subtly reminded him, Dipper's expression mildly delirious as he turned to glare at his sister. "Ok Mabel...First off, gruncle Stan isn't going to possess me, and secondly I mean...Just look at him. I can't not." 

The sheer amount of scrutiny on Mabel's face was picturesque, the slightly taller twin judging both of the men in her life for their life choices before she blatantly turned to great uncle Ford and exclaimed "Boys." the nod they gave each other was both kind of hilarious and absolutely insulting to Dipper when he considered that great uncle Ford too was a boy and had no real room to judge considering his thirty some-odd year grudge. "What do you say kid?" gruncle Stan drew Dipper's attention back to him, the two shaking hands on it in a stern and not at all non-aggressive way. "Ugh. Great uncle Ford why do boys get all stupid when they grow older?" Mabel questioned, their other great uncle shrugging in a non-committal manner. "I suppose for the same reasons a girl would keep an entire genetically cloned band of boys locked in her room?" he offered, illuding to a second-hand account he'd received of one of Mabel's own maturity ventures. 

Thoroughly embarrassed, both Dipper and Mabel acquiesced from the table making sure to clean up the horrendous glob their great uncle tried to pass off as food while Stan none too discreetly passed his portion off to waddles. "Dipper...Tomorrow morning you should apologize to Stan." Mabel commented after their grunkle's left the room, Dipper already feeling his nerves prickle "Why should I Mabs? I did nothing wrong. I mean come on, I worked the tours all day and so what if I showed some guy who is probably homeless and likely a few marbles short of sane a little pity? Sometimes it's better to be the nice guy than always to be the right guy." if Mabel had a retort she kept it to herself, her expression a little sour as she finished cleaning off the pan Ford had used to cook. "There's a letter for you on the dinosaur skull Dipper...Someone left it on the porch." Mabel offered up only that much, her words devoid of much more than simply defeat before she shuffled off to the room that had once been occupied by wax dolls (now serving as her bedroom since they were both heading into the horribly awkward stage of life called puberty) closing the door behind her. 

Not about to let guilt drive him to back down, Dipper crossed the creaky wooden floors of the shack and headed towards the living room. He paused for a moment in the doorway, great uncle Stan already passed out in front of the T.V. with one of his old-timey stop motion movies playing at a ridiculous volume. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, making sure to quiet his steps as he passed his great uncle. Not that the old timer would have been able to hear him past the thundering droll of the movie playing. He was pleased that the pile of letters on top of the dinosaur head had been left undisturbed, Dipper half worried that his gruncle may have messed with his mail just out of spite. He pawed through the small stack before finding a handwritten letter with his name written on the backside written in cursive. "Ok...Well I guess this is a job for the mystery twins." Dipper announced to no one in particular, taking off with the letter after remembering that he was trying -not- to wake up gruncle Stan.

.....

"I mean...It's not the weirdest request we've ever gotten Mabel. Could just be a customer?" Mabel's uncertainty was as clear as the diamond earrings she was currently sporting (a gift from Pacifica no doubt), her face scrunched up and her brows knitted together with concern. "Dipper...It could also be a stalker or something I mean...All it says is meet me at the falls at midnight. No who, no other instructions other than come alone. That's creepy dip dip." Dipper shrugged, the idea of having a mystery to solve much more entertaining than the idea of wallowing in self-pity and reflection of his previous actions. "Pacifica is known to be this vague Mabs. Could be her." he offered up, watching Mabel's expression fall into further disbelief "Or it could be like a vampire, or an angry manitaur or maybe even something we've never seen before...I'm not saying don't go. But let me follow behind you, just in case." 

Dipper rubbed at his chin, taking the letter from his sister so he could look at it himself. The writing was neat, though he wasn't proficient enough in calligraphy to determine if the penmanship was male or female. The message itself was what made it so puzzling, the letter specifically asking for Dipper Pines and saying for him to come alone. He looked back towards Mabel, her expression reminiscent of the one she sported a few nights ago after he'd gone missing. It was the kind of look like maybe she'd never see him again, or at least that was her worry. Conceding to his sister, dipper sighed and gave his twin a half smile, "alright Mabs. But keep quiet and out of sight. I can't risk whomever this is getting suspicious or getting spooked." 

That seemed to be agreeable enough for Mabel, the female twin getting off of her bed to start packing up her backpack. She mostly stuffed it with essentials and first aid but her favorite grappling hook and a cross-bow gifted to her by gruncle Ford took up the majority of the room. Dipper laughed as she attempted to close the bags zippers, her determination displayed through her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. He decided he'd better get his own bag, leaving his sister to pack what looked to be everything but the kitchen sink (she'd probably pack that too if she thought it would fit). His own bag was quickly filled with water bottles, a flashlight, some backup batteries, his journal, and an emergency first aid kit. The last things he shoved into his bag were a map and a pocket knife for just in case protection. 

Dipper left first, making sure he could get a head start on Mabel. He knew if she was too close behind the client might get spooked, and if it wasn't a client but a new kind of monster than he certainly didn't want to scare it off. He thought about telling gruncle Ford but then he realized if he could get information on something new, Ford would praise him. Ok so that was a childish desire but he just wanted to make the old guy proud of him since he couldn't seem to please gruncle Stan for the life of him. 

The path to the falls was long and a little more than tedious. It was about an hour and a half hike from the shack up the mountain to the falls, and as such it wasn't really an area he'd explored too much. He'd asked gruncle Ford what was out that way once but all he got was a stern warning and an assigned chore to keep him busy so he didn't go looking into it. 

Questions formed in his mind even as the moon began to peek over the edges of the canopy, the night air cool and the forest teeming with fairies and fireflies. It wasn't the most ideal time to go trudging through the forest and his mind wandered back to Mabel more than once, knowing she was out here in the woods somewhere. He was paying attention to every hoot, holler and noise just in case his sister needed him or something decided to haunt his steps. Paranoia was starting to overwhelm him the further he went up the mountain. Everywhere he looked it seemed as if eyes were watching him, and as it got darker it seemed like the forest was quieter. He had only a vague notion of where he was going and he didn't even know at this point how close or far Mabel was from him, if she'd even followed at all. Regret was quickly becoming a fore thought, his desire to solve the mystery over shadowed by a clamoring sense for his own mortality. 

He held back a squeal as his foot missed a hole in the ground beneath him, causing him to tumble forward and slide against rough, scratchy dirt. He paused for a moment, looking up at the sky through the canopy. The stars were slightly obscured by dark gray wisps of cloud and the tree's were so large it almost seemed like they went on forever. He could see the silhouettes of bats fluttering through the night air, the crescent moon just barely illuminating the ground below. He furrowed his brow as he looked back towards the moon, having sworn it was full earlier in the day though now it was just a small red sliver "An eclipse..." he spoke to himself, fear driving him to get back up. He was wandering around on the mountainside of a magical forest, in a magical town, during an eclipse which has who knows what effects on magical creatures. "You're...Brilliant Dipper just brilliant. You're vast sea of ignorant stupidity is going to get you -and- Mabel killed tonight." 

....

Determined to see this through he pushed himself to keep going, his mind weary of everything he passed. The forest only got darker as the eclipse continued, before it was enveloped in pure darkness. The path before him disappeared and he could have sworn he heard a scream somewhere to his left that sounded vaguely like Mabel. He tossed his bag off of his back and tussled through it to try and find his flashlight, his hands fumbling with the zipper as the forest all of a sudden sounded off with thundering chatter. It seemed like every creature in the woods was screaming at him all at once, the deafening noises making his blood pulse and his mind flood with adrenaline. He hastened his search, his fingers passing over several object before he could feel the cool metal handle of the flashlight, a triumphant smile crossing his lips as he pulled it out of the bag. 

Eyes darted upwards while his hands prepared to flick the switch, the young teen pausing immediately as a pair of eyes glowed in the darkness before him. Dipper could feel his breath catch, something that gave off an ominous vibe standing just feet in front of him. Nothing else around him was letting off any light, the eclipse still in full swing above his head and the forest still screaming around him. He felt foolish for having taken his eyes off of the road, especially since he wasn't exactly sure what was in front of him though it wasn't too much taller than himself. The thought to turn on the flashlight crossed his mind and his hands already flicked the switch on before he even really mulled it over.

An almost blinding yellow light filled the space in front of him, the first thing visible was two sets of legs standing side by side. He lifted the flashlight up to find the faces that belonged to the legs, someone who looked an awful lot like Mabel drawing away from the light while the golden eyed, and evidently golden haired individual just glared at him through the light. "Dipper come on, turn that thing off before something worse see us." Mabel's voice flood his ears and he quickly turned out the light, shoving it roughly in his bag. He secured the straps onto his back before stepping forward, using the glow of the stranger's eyes as his guide. "Mabs, I thought I heard you scream. Are you ok? And who is this?" Dipper's throat felt dry, his mind actually entertaining the thought that he was hallucinating. 

"Yeah I um...Fell. As for this guy...Uh...Well. Look Dipper that isn't really important, right now we need to get out of the woods before the eclipse ends ok?" suspicion was the first and initial feeling Dipper got when 'Mable' spoke, his feet instinctively taking him back a few steps. The guy with the glowing eyes stepped forward at the same time, Dipper acutely aware that there was now a hand clasping around his arm. The glowing eyes guy was completely silent, just his eyes narrowing as the only signifier Dipper could get for his intentions. "How do I know you're really...You?" Dipper questioned, the grip from the unknown male tightening slightly. 'Mabel' for her part just sighed and walked closer, her steps crunching against the leaves on the trail "Really Dipper? We don't have time for this. If we stay out here we'll die." 

Really not buying into this story, Dipper yanked free of the stranger's grip letting his feet carry him past the two as fast as they were willing to go. He could hear 'Mabel' calling his name from behind him, followed by some very fast footsteps which he assumed belonged to the glowing eyed man. He couldn't have been far from the falls so Dipper pressed on, trying hard not to focus on the other person who was pursuing him. He hoped to god that Mabel was safe somewhere, though he knew in his heart that she could take care of herself. Part of him did consider just turning back but with the pitch blackness of the eclipse blocking his vision he wasn't even completely sure he was still even on the path he'd been following.

This realization was followed by his foot snagging onto a rock, his legs getting tossed off of what felt like a crevice while his hands struggled to grasp the side of the wall. Rocks were cutting into his hands and he realized he was on the mountainside, if not a cliff face. Fear was as blanketing as the darkness when he realized he'd shouted when he slipped, his arms not having quite enough upper body strength to pull him up onto the path. A stern pair of hands grasped his wrists and Dipper found himself staring into the eyes of the glowing eyed man. Dipper debated if it would be better just to let himself drop, the darkness obscuring just how far below the ground was and if it was survivable. "Yeah pine tree, go leaping off of SIX FOOT drops. You'll be FINE." the condescending, and acutely familiar voice brought ice through Dipper's veins.

This was perhaps his worst nightmare, the voice, the nickname, the glowing yellow eyes. He found his throat dried and his voice struggling to get out a proper sentence "B...B..." He tousled, not quite able to form the name even in his thoughts. "Bill?" the other asked in that same judgey manner, their grip tightening before yanking Dipper up harshly. He was airborne for all of five seconds, his backpack forcing him up even higher than he probably was meant to be, before he roughly landed on something warm. A harsh exhale of breath left whatever he'd landed on, his own body aching from the impact. "Oh my gosh...Oh my gosh. This isn't happening, this can't be happening." Dipper spoke to himself, trying to get up the strength to move though his own limbs ached in protest and his gut wrenched uncomfortably. His landing pad moved first, pushing Dipper off of themselves though obviously not making it too far past that movement. Dipper could feel the inklings of a panic attack, a pair of shoes clanking against the rocky surface of the mountain trail.

"Dipper! Are you ok?" the voice of Mabel was the only noise he could make out, slim hands grasping his shoulders while he lamely attempted to get up. The sky above seemed to turn a blood color, the moon peaking just barely from behind its black shell to reveal some light to the land below. Dipper could clearly see the cliff face he'd nearly fallen down, jagged rocks sticking up from the ground. He gazed towards the person whose hands were on his shoulder, the girl looking exactly like Mabel but he still wasn't prepared to say it was actually his sister. "We're too late Shooting Star. We need shelter before...Well just trust me ok kid?" 'Mabel's' face scrunched up, her arms unable to support Dipper's weight as he tried to stand "I'm sorry, you want me to do what now? I believe you about this whole sky looking like Dipper after about four nights without sleep thing but trusting you is the -last- thing I am ever going to do you freaky triangle." without fully turning to face them, Bill managed to turn just enough for Dipper to see his glare, the blonde struggling to get onto his legs.

Several questions filled Dipper's mind, most presently was how Bill had managed to secure a human body and who was he possessing? From what he could see, they looked vaguely familiar the tall and yet slightly stalky build brandished by a long, two tailed waist coat that seemed to shimmer like the stars themselves. He felt it a bit unscrupulous that Mabel had followed this demented abomination, and he made sure to shoot her a look that alerted her to such feelings. "Ok, I'm willing to believe for now, that you are indeed Mabel...But would one of you two mind telling me what's going on? How are you out of the mindscape, whose body is that? Why are you here...like you know around us? Why did you jus-" Dipper had begun one of his onslaughts of questions, his mind racing about as fast as the words coming from his lips. He drew silent as the subject of his wonder stood and stalked towards him, his gut wrenching as he regarded the very familiar face. He couldn't tell if he wanted to shout, cry, or punch bill in his stupid triangle face. All three sounded kind of appealing but his sister was tugging on his sleeve, her expression pleading "Dipper...We need to find shelter and then...Then we can discuss this ok?" He knew Mabel had a sound reason, neither of them being keen on Bill's existence but with the object of his nightmares in the flesh before him it was increasingly hard to concentrate on anything else, even the ever growing screaming from the forest below. 

An unnatural grin split across Bill's borrowed face, his slitted eyes narrowing dangerously as he closed in on the twins. Dipper half expected Bill to attack them but instead he reached forward, grabbing Mabel's arm in a considerably non-threatening manner which was a concept Dipper didn't feel Bill had even been capable of. "Come on shooting star, if pine tree wants to die out here let him. At least you're reasonable." the accusation in Bill's tone wasn't missed and Dipper found himself glaring after Bill and his sister who was being reluctantly dragged behind him. He could hear her protests and made an honest attempt to follow after them, but he found his legs weren't quite his friend after nearly falling just moments before, infact as he tried to stand his entire body ached and he was left to glare after their retreating figures. "Bill...Wait!" Dipper felt disgusted that he was going to have to rely on Bill's help, but with the forest beginning to sway ominously below them, he figured it was best not to find out what happens during an eclipse. 

"And I immediately regret this." Dipper could see a victorious smirk across Bill's face as he walked back towards him, his head held high in an irritatingly arrogant way. For Dipper it was strange seeing human features put to Bill's rather flamboyant demeanor, the mind demon seeming all too pleased in Dipper's conceit. "Atta boy, Pine Tree. Now seeing as your useless human flesh sticks are even less productive than that brain of yours I guess I'm just going to have to carry you to the nearest cave." Mortification was the best term to describe how that statement made Dipper feel, the young teenager making yet another weak attempt to get onto wobbly legs "I'd rather die." Bill's smile was a strange blend of fascinated and annoyed, his pace even slower than before though he was nearly in front of Dipper at this point. 

"That can be arranged Pine Tree. Hey, how'd you like to taste your own toes? I for one think it would be fascinating." Dipper could make out Mabel's protest, his twin staying where she'd been dragged of by Bill, though with the slowly increasing visibility he could tell she was ready to jump into action if she needed to. "You can't possibly be strong enough to carry me and my bag. No let me refrain, the body you're using can't." to emphasize his point, Dipper shoved his bag towards Bill, the demon just tilting his head at it like it was a new experience before looping the straps over his shoulders. "I think this fleshbag can manage. Unless you've gotten fatter since we last interacted. You know when you and your INSIGNIFICANTLY WORTHLESS FAMILY HAD THE AUDACITY TO RUIN MY PLANS?!"


	8. Snyyvat vf fb zhpu rnfvre.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Bill returned, and in the shape of someone Dipper consider's a friend, Dipper struggles with what to do. Meanwhile he and Mabel must survive one of the most dangerous times to be out in gravity falls. With Bill helping them they might just survive but Dipper isn't willing to bet that the demon has their best interest in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Lots of exciting things going on in this chapter. I'm working at it as much as I can but school is still important. Luckily this week I am on spring break and have time to dedicate to the cause. Anyways, for those who didn't know the title of the story and in fact of the chapters are a caesar Cipher. I always use Rotation 13 because idk. It's my favorite. I may start posting the translations at the end of the chapters since no one seems interested in decryption haha. Hope you're enjoying! 
> 
> P.S. Dipper is such a damsel in distress in this chapter. OMG Dipper please stop getting yourself hurt XD.

Dipper glared up at the demon, his stomach churning uncomfortably as he thought of every possible reason for Bill's return. With some reluctance, Dipper managed to get to his feet, the teen briefly leaning against the form the demon was parading around in to help maintain his balance. Realizing he'd both metaphorically and literally leaned on the source of all ruination and misery, Dipper jerked away, leaving the hand Bill had just raised lingering in empty space. "Don't touch me Cipher." the teen growled out from under his breath, before he stalked towards his sister. He couldn't hear Bill's footsteps over the supernatural wailing of the forest, though he had no doubt the demon was just behind him, probably plotting on murdering the twins while their backs were turned. "Hey shooting star. You never did tell me why you and your INSIGNIFICANT SPECK OF FLESH brother were out here during one of the most dangerous LUNAR CYCLES anyways." Dipper halted completely, glaring up at the demon, who was barely a foot away from him, when he'd stopped. "Don't talk to her like that. And how about you tell us why you are in...That body." The demon snickered, looking over the shorter brunet and to his twin instead. Mabel herself was fussing with her shorts, her hands fiddling with the hem and pulling it down a little. "Um...Well..." she looked towards Dipper though her brother was still concentrated on the demon's face, her own expression paled. "Hey, don't ignore me." Dipper pushed Bill back roughly, that teen angst he'd unleashed on gruncle stan earlier now manifesting in his anger with Bill. 

The demon simply chuckled, stepping back towards Dipper just to mess with Dipper's hat. "The mature people are talking KID. So why don't you hush up and listen for once?" The demon grinned down at the teen, his head tilted just slightly to the side as he seemed to be taking in the boy's expression. "No you listen. I am not going anywhere else with you until you answer my question...Why. Are. You. In. Williams. BODY?!" Dipper's hands were clenched, he wanted to punch the smug look right off of Bill's face and he knew the demon could tell but this was his friend's body, he couldn't mess up William's face just because Bill was in it. He recalled his own time as Bill's "Puppet" and he wondered if William was just floating around somewhere, listening to them and watching. Unable to stop Bill, or talk to them since there was nothing around he could use as a vessel. "No can do kid. Willy is still here, Just like I am." Bill gestured towards the body itself grinning darkly at Dipper who just stared back with confusion. "CUTE how much you care about him though. SO let's make a deal Pine Tree. You do as I say and I won't harm William's body out of spite." 

Dipper continued to gape at Bill, not really comprehending what Bill had just said. It couldn't be possible for Bill to inhabit the body while William was still inside of it. Right? He hadn't heard of such a thing but there was a lot about Bill's powers that he didn't know about. "Bill we both know you wouldn't do that. You're just as dependent on that body as William is, so stop threatening my brother." Dipper glanced between Bill and Mabel, the former triangle looking paled as he stared towards the female twin. The corner of the demon's mouth twitched slightly and Dipper expected some kind of retort, but instead the demon pushed past Dipper, adjusting the twin's bag on his back as he did so. Disbelief was Dipper's initial feeling but he knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was troubling that Mabel knew something about this situation that he didn't, but at least it seemed as though Bill wasn't capable of harming William physically. Mentally was a whole other area and Dipper knew that, especially since matters of the mind were the demons specialty. 

....

The moon above slowly came uncovered, the light it was giving off still blood red which was unusual since it was recovering from the eclipse and not being covered by it. The teen gave a nervous glance to the sky, something very large fluttering overhead and blocking out all of the light from the moon. "PINE TREE MOVE IT!" Bill's voice hollard from in front of the teen, the boy ducking down just in time to avoid the talons of whatever had just tried to grab him. A piercing screech echoed above head, a roaring sound drumming against Dipper's ears as he broke out into a run. He dashed out past Mabel, grabbing her hand as he passed and pulling her behind him. He didn't look back at Bill, figuring the demon could manage himself, especially since the boy he was possessing had some impressive running speed. The forest was just a distant blur below as more moon light covered the ground below in a reddish light, the winged creature circling above the three teenagers heads leaving a dark shadow looming over the ground. Dipper could make out the sound of the falls, the three likely no less than a mile from them. He couldn't see any good places to hide from the creature, the landscape to his right just a flat rock face and the area to his left a sudden drop off, or at least it looked like one. "Hey Cipher, what is that thing?" Dipper called back without looking back, the demon not answering which Dipper wrote off as just him concentrating on running. The thought of the demon having to flee from something was kind of funny especially when the last time Dipper had seen the demon, he had seemed so invincible. 

"Dipper, we lost Bill!" Mabel called out behind Dipper, the boy slowing down so he could glance back. In the distance he could make out the glow from Bill's eye's, though it was obvious that the demon wasn't moving very fast. "Ugh, forget him Mabel. If he gets eaten then good riddance." Dipper snorted, staring at his sister with concern as Mabel yanked free of Dipper's grasp, the twins leaping apart as the creature swooped down at the rocks above them, knocking a few towards them. "Dipper, William is still in there. Get that into your head. I'm going back. Whether you do or not!" Dipper hissed under his breath, grabbing for his sisters retreating form but he was forced to move forward as more rocks fell from the mountain side, preventing him from chasing after her. "Dammit...Fine. If I distract that dumb thing than at least Mabel will be safe. HEY BIRD BRAIN! DOWN HERE!" Dipper waved his arms back and forth hoping it was enough to distract their pursuer from Mabel. The creature screeched and swooped back towards him, it talons stretched out to grab at him. Dipper took off running, occasionally glancing back to make sure the creature was still following him and not going after his sister who, in his mind, was the easier target. 

Separated again from his twin, Dipper was forced to run the path alone. The area ahead was covered by large tree's which stretched up towards the moon as towering examples of time.The winged creature had given up it's chase after he'd found a rocky underpass to duck into, whatever it was, it was too large to go in after him. As he dashed into the cover of the canopy, small creatures darted out of his path a few things that looked like gnomes looking at him with glowing red eyes. "This...Can't be good." Dipper mumbled, keeping a swift pace though his calves pulsed angrily. Around him, the eyes of various creatures glowed red and the feeling of being watched was overwhelming. Tangling brambles snagged at his feet and he was forced to stop when one snagged into his arm, a small herd of deer stopping to face him as he removed thorns that clung onto his skin. Their eyes glowed red just like the other creatures in the forest, their mouths hung open to reveal almost dog like teeth which made Dipper very nervous. The buck who was leading the herd snorted, an unusual, almost bark coming from it before it lowered its antlers towards the teen, looking as though it wanted to fight. "Oh no, not today Bambi. Or any other day for that matter." Dipper had no idea if the creature's were sentient like some of the other supernatural beings he'd encountered and he'd never read about them in the journal so he had nothing to go by but he figured he'd try to speak with it anyways, it was only a deer after all. Not seeming to be the reasoning type, the buck dashed at him forcing the teen to leap away and cut his arm on the thorns, rather than risking getting impaled by some kind of supernatural deer. 

The thought that Bill would love to have their teeth briefly crossed his mind before he sprinted forwards, the falls just visible ahead of him. He wasn't even sure that the letter sender was real but at the moment he was just hoping the water would save him from the aggressive deer that was now chasing him through the forest. At full run, Dipper skidded to a halt at the edge of the waterfall, the water below dark and ominous under the red light from the half exposed moon up ahead. He could still hear the deer trampling through the underbrush behind him and he had to weigh his options. He could either leap into likely monster infested water, or he could try his luck and climb the rocks leading to the edge of the waterfall. Both would free him of the deer but one was a lot faster than the other, and with it closing in on him he didn't really trust that he could make it up the rocks fast enough from where he was standing. Taking a literal leap of faith he jumped into the icy cold mountain water below, his head slamming against some rocks as he hit the bottom of the deep lake. In moments he was unconscious, his body floating back upwards though he was breathing in water, and only his back was above the water which was now carrying him down stream. 

....

"Open your eyes." a voice, muffled and distant, drew Dipper's mind from the empty void he'd been floating around in. He felt heavy and his lungs hurt, even his head was pounding in an uncomfortable way. Slowly he peeked an eye open, his vision blurry and his eyes burning as if he'd just been standing in front of a fire with the smoke blowing in his face. "Good. You aren't dead." the voice called out to him again and in his unfocused state Dipper reached a numb hand up, managing catch what felt like someone's arm. He couldn't think, and his mind struggled to process any kind of words for him to use anyways. Instead of responding he just grasped onto what seemed like smooth skin, the owner tensing just slightly though they didn't yank away or speak. "He's awake?" another voice, even more distant than the one that had been addressing him, sounding against his ears in the same way a rock echoes against an empty caves walls when dropped. "Yes. His breathings better now too. No, don't squeeze him you'll just hurt him more...I...I need to set this." the first voice, and if the body movements were any indication, also the person he was clinging to spoke up again. The arm he was holding finally moved, hands pressing against his shoulder which sent a shockwave of pain through Dipper's body. The teen groaned with discomfort, the hands retreating for a moment before applying a quick and horrendously painful pressure to the shoulder, a sick popping sensation filling his senses. 

Dipper shot up, coughing hard enough for some water to come through his throat and dribble down his chin, his eyes still not quite focused on his surroundings, his heart pounding as he was flooded with adrenaline. "Easy...It's over now." the voice was so quiet Dipper barely knew they had spoken at first, the teen taking to clinging to the body closest to him as he let out a pained sob. The receiver tensed, a familiar smell wafting into Dipper's nose though he couldn't quite place where he'd smelled it before. "Please stop laughing...This isn't funny." laughter filled the void of Dipper's hearing and even that seemed incredibly familiar to him, almost like Mabel's laughter as the owner snorted slightly. "I'm sorry...It's just your face. You look like. You're dying on the inside." the second voice rasped between fits of laughter and snorting, the voice even reminding Dipper of Mabel, though in his mildly delirious state he wasn't at all sure if it really was his sister or even where he was. His name was Dipper right? 

"Kid...Come on. Have a little mercy." the first, and now clearly closer voice sounded off beside Dipper's head, the teen not sure when he'd leaned his head against the owner of the voice's shoulder though clearly he had. He could finally make out the the shirt the individual was wearing was yellow, the blurry silhouette of stalagmites in the distance. Dipper felt like he was sitting on rocks, but his legs were pressed against something much softer, and he guessed it was the legs of whomever he was clinging to. The surface beneath him was bumpy and uneven, the air around him overwhelmed by the scent of allspice, vanilla, and a faint hint of black licorice. "S...Sorry Bill. I just. Oh my gosh. When Dipper recovers from that concussion." That name was also really familiar to Dipper, his thoughts jumbled and hazy while he tried to process everything. He felt exhausted, his shoulder now aching in a very uncomfortable way as the adrenaline seeped from him. His vision was clearing little by little but he still gave into the compulsion to close his eyes, feeling himself slump against the weight of the other person. Arms surrounded him and he could just make out laughter before he felt like he was being lifted. "Bill...No sit still I need a picture of thi- hey that's my phone!" whatever was supporting him moved forward quickly and in his state of half-consciousness he could even feel their muscles tense as something was clenched in their hand. Something rectangular was pressed against his side as the hand returned to support him, his thoughts focussing more on the fact that he was now very warm and that it felt like he was moving.

"Shooting star...This isn't funny. You're lucky I'm in a generous mood or I'd drop your stupid brother and leave you both here to die." that voice sounded so much like something from a childhood nightmare, and Dipper wondered for a moment if he was actually dreaming. He'd recalled the Mabel sounding person referring to the other as Bill, their body the source of that spice smell he'd picked up on earlier. B...Bill?" Dipper rasped out, opening his eyes just slightly to peer up at the angled face of a golden eyed teen. The other looked down at him with a quirked, brown brow, their eyes seeming to glow in the darkness surrounding them. "Kid." The voice spoke back, the mouth of the teen moving with the voice though it didn't feel like it fit their face at all. Still not quite conscious, or even really thinking Dipper just hummed and closed his eyes again, his hands clinging onto whatever was closest while he muttered unintelligible words under his breath. "What's he saying?" that was definitely Mabel's voice, and it was fairly close to him. Concern entered the haze of Dipper's emotions, his eyes searching until he found his sister's familiar face, her own expression somewhere between absurdly amused and worrisome. "If I knew that Shooting star, I'd have responded. We just need to make sure he stays awake, otherwise his mind might slip into the ENDLESS EMASSING VOID OF NOTHINGNESS AND SHEER INSANITY TO NEVER FIND A LICK OF SANITY OR CONSCIOUSNESS AGAIN. Aka, a coma." 

Words just kind of flew over Dipper's head, unable to process exactly what Bill had just said to Mabel. As they continued to move, a bright light overwhelmed the teen and he shied away from it the smell he associated with the forest coming through his nose. offended by the light, he burried his head into the shoulder of the one Mabel called Bill. "We are so grounded when we make it back home...Hey Bill...Um. Thank you. If you hadn't of found Dipper..." Another hand was pressed onto Dipper's leg and he peeked up to see Mabel, her gaze pointed towards the golden eyed teen. The other just snorted, their own eyes staring down at Dipper the gaze making the teen a little uncomfortable. "I didn't do this for either of your sakes Shooting star. Don't mistake me for some kind of good guy. I fully intend to take my revenge on you two and the only way I can do that is if you're BOTH alive." Mabel's expression was filled with disappointment and some memories were flooding back to Dipper through the haze of pain. He remembered a triangle, the world burning, and a horrible pyramid looking creature with teeth and a wagging tongue saying it needed to turn some kids into corpses. As the memories returned to him, the teen let out an ungodly screech. He could see Bill draw his head back a bit, the noise piercing his ears. Golden eyes glared down into the panicked brown of Dipper's, annoyance dancing across Bill's face. No, not Bill's, Dipper realized, but Williams. "W...What happened? Where? Why?" Dipper wheezed, clinging even tighter to Billiams shoulders. 

/

"Sheesh kid, you almost made me murder you. Stop talking before you ruin your throat. I mean I enjoy your suffering TWICE as much as the next guy, but making me suffer in the process just DAMPENS THE SWEET VICTORY OF YOUR INSTANT AND INEVITABLE REALIZATION THAT YOU'RE COMPLETELY AT MY WILL RIGHT NO-" Bill was shouting etherally at Dipper before a fist belonging to Mabel collided with his shoulder, promptly shutting the demon up. Golden and brown eyes darted towards Mabel, the girl crossing her arms and staring at the demon with the kind of gaze a disapproving mother would give a disobedient child. "Don't forget who convinced Will to let you out during the daytime hours Cipher. I can just as easily tell him we're done with you and -he- can carry Dipper home." Bill's mouth drew into a thin line and Dipper felt too tired to sort through his confusion, the teen just burying his face again to hide from the headache pounding against his skull. He couldn't begin to tip into how mortified he was that Bill was apparently -willingly- helping Dipper, and if Mabel's implication was right, he'd volunteered to do so. He tried to recall his last memory, just the hazy sounds of a waterfall and glowing red eyes coming to memory. 

"Hey...Bill. Pause for a moment, I need to check the time." The demon laughed at Mabel's request, his chest bouncing against Dipper's cheek leaving the soft material of the yellow shirt to rub against his skin. "Do you humans not know how to read time anymore? It's like two am. Just look at the position of the moon, it's almost down on the horizon. I swear this isn't even my dimension and even -I- know that much." Dipper let a small laugh pass his lips, his eyes peeked open again to find the demon looking down appreciatively at him. Mabel on the other hand was pouting, though she disappeared from Dipper's view after pulling off her bag. Bill stopped moving, readjusting his hold on Dipper, which the teen briefly feared was him about to be dropped. His arms lurched up and clasped around the demon's neck, his head burying against the other's shoulder while Bill laughed maniacally. "Oh geez kid, if I was going to drop you I would have done it LONG ago. But HEY that idea is UNDENIABLY appealing right now...Come on Shooting Star, I can't poke a bit of fun? Sheesh. Lighten up kid." a memory came to Dipper's mind, Bill the triangle demon floating in front of him with a cane in his hands. Dipper clung desperately to a laptop as the demon tried to sweet talk him into a deal, even telling the kid that he liked him. "No screaming heads." Dipper mumbled under his breath, catching amusement in the demon's gaze before Bill abruptly looked away, expression grim. The arms holding Dipper tightened, the demon tilting his body just slightly as if to distance Dipper from something. Curious, Dipper peered ahead, catching sight of what looked like a girl approaching them from a foggy forest. He wasn't even sure when they'd left the rocky mountains for them to be in the forest again but he also didn't even really know where he was to begin with. "Stay back." Bill growled out, stepping back to create more distance. Mabel joined Bill, standing in front of him and unintentionally blocking Dipper's view of the person who was approaching them. All he could make out past his sister as he titled to get a decent view was a set of almost glowing blue eyes, and hands that seemed to be encased in flames. 

"Bill Cipher. Finally I've found you. I just knew your affinity for the Pines would lead me to you." Bill seemed extremely stiff, the demon's eyes wide with anger and if Dipper wasn't mistaken, a bit of fear too. His mouth curled into a snarl and his hands which were still holding onto Dipper glowed with a blue fire though it didn't burn the teen, much to his surprise. "Why does she have your...William's face Bill?" Mabel called towards them, something in her arms though Dipper couldn't quite make out what. Bill chuckled darkly, stepping back even more almost like a magnet that was being repulsed by the wrong charge. Blue flames blocked the path in front of Mabel, somehow managing not to burn the tree's at either side of the brightly glowing line. Mabel too stepped back, giving Dipper a better view of the person approaching, the girls features illuminated by Bill's flames though she didn't dare to step into them. Her eyes were a bright blue, her skin slightly dark, almost like Williams and her brown hair was cropped in a pixie cut way but a little more angled. She had a rounder face than William but the likeness was striking, even her nose the same as his. "Riverbend...No I had that INCREDIBLY EROGENOUS FROM THE CREATION OF THIS NIGHTMARISH HAPPENSTANCE. Isn't that right, Red Star?" The girl Bill referred to as Red Star grinned back at them, her hands encased in red flames before it covered her entire body, the girl walking through Bill's blue flames as if they were just a harmless sprinkler on the ground instead of demonic magic. "Yes Cipher. Too bad this nightmare is far from over for you. Now. I'd like to talk to William. If you'd be oh. So. Kind."


	9. Jvgpu bs synzrf naq eriratr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willow has returned to the scene and she wants her brother back, but with Bill holding his body prisoner it's easier said and done. With a battle between a witch and a demon seeming inevitable, Mabel has to protect her old enemy in the interest of protecting her injured brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got started on this as soon as I finished the other one haha. Had the juices flowing and all that. This is another heavy chapter and a lot of plot is revealed but I promise the next few will be a bit of a break from all this chaos. Don't want things getting too over-worked haha. Thanks again for your continued support. Knowing you all like this story so much inspires me to keep writing it :).

"Sorry sweetheart but Willie doesn't want to talk to you right now." Dipper had heard Bill be condescending before, but this was a new level even for him. He had to hold back laughter as the demon actually called someone sweetheart, the term so out of character in Dipper's mind and leading Dipper into a million questions about who this girl was. She mentioned that Bill had an affinity for pines and he wondered if maybe she'd sent the letter to him, and if perhaps, had Mabel and Bill not tagged along, she would have harmed him. "I want to hear that from William. Unless you want me to burn the Pines boy that is." Bill hissed in the most inhuman way Dipper could imagine, the demon's pupils even more slitted than normal and his hands burning brighter against Dipper's side. Mabel readjusted whatever it was she was holding, her gaze still set on the girl. Her steps were slow as she backed closer towards Dipper and Bill. "Dipper and I have nothing to do with your petty squabbles so leave us out of it." the girl, or as Bill had called her, Red Star, just laughed loudly letting some flames dance around Mabel who cried out from the heat. "That's where you're wrong. It was Will and I who had nothing to do with your petty squabble but alas we were dragged into it. If we must suffer then it's only fair you do the same." Mabel was trapped by a ring of fire, her brown eyes locking with Bills in a moment of pure panic while Red Star continued an incredibly slow approach towards the three.

Bill flicked his wrist forward, blue flames engulfing the red and replacing the circle with its own light. "Shooting star come over here." Bill barked out, Mabel not even arguing with him before she rushed through his flames which let her pass unharmed. She rejoined Dipper and Bill, her crossbow held tight in her arms with an arrow notched back and readied at the girl called Red Star. "Leave. Them. ALONE." Bill yelled towards the girl, his eyes turning black with a red pupil. Flames stretched out towards the girl and encased her, the girl just stepping through them like they were nothing. "Bill...What is she?" Mabel questioned, releasing an arrow that the girl consumed with flames leaving ashes in their wake. "A witch, Mabel. A powerful one. She's William's twin sister and boy is she MAD at me." Bill announced, Mabel and Dipper surprised that he'd used Mabel's real name instead of calling her shooting star. The demon's eyes were still black and red, more flames shooting towards the witch like whips but if it affected her at all she didn't show it. "Is this what you meant...When you said you got in over your head?" Mabel asked, her voices shaky from fear and her eyes widened as some trees close to them caught fire from the trail following the witch. "Maybe." Bill sounded...Almost resigned, his brow sweating as he flicked more flames at the witch. Dipper noticed that each time he hit her, her own flames seemed to grow making Dipper wonder about what kind of powers witches even had. He knew about the hand witch who had stolen gruncle Stan's hands a while back but he didn't really look any further into them than that, in fact that witch had been a haggard old woman but this one was a teenager, and apparently William's twin sister. 

"As I said. I want to talk to William." the witch spoke up again, her flames seeming to skirt around Bill's own before they encased Dipper's arm, the teen crying out in pain as the flames licked at his skin and burned the outer layer. "Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed in fear, shooting another arrow at the witch in vain. Bill overtook the witches flames with his own before any real damage could be done, his eyes now white with a black pupil which Dipper had only seen once since his interactions with the triangular dream demon. "Are you ok Pine Tree?" Bill questioned while warding off more flames from the witch, his eyes never leaving the witches position and his left eye darting back and forth with the movement of the fire. "Y...Yeah. I'm ok." Dipper spoke with a slight sniffle, his eyes brimming with tears while he catered to his wounded arm. The skin pulse and turned a bright red much like when he had burned the other one on a stove when he was eleven. He knew it would hurt more later but with the rest of him still hurting from whatever had happened to him before, it wasn't an immediate concern for him. "Wi...Willow. Stop this...Please." Dipper looked up as he heard Williams voice, what was once a white sclera and elongated pupil was now Williams soft green eyes, his brows knitted together and his grip tightening around Dipper. The blue fire that had been around said hands disappeared and was replaced by a stream of water that floated over from a stream that Dipper hadn't noticed before. It encased Dipper's arm and he felt a soothingly warm sensation before the pain and redness disappear, the teen's expression simply shocked as he looked down at the healed skin.

"William...Come back with me. Let me fix this please. If...If you don't then. I'll kill one of them. Don't think I won't do it either." The witch called out towards William, her flames subsiding just a little. William stepped back instead of towards her, tears falling down his cheeks and landing on Dipper as he silently cried "I...I know you will Willow. B...But listen...They...They're really n...nice. Especially Dipper...An...And...Um....There's...You don't need to hurt them." Dipper felt a sickening feeling in his gut as William stuttered and sobbed, the brunet still not recovered from his concussion and everything just kind of overwhelming him. "But William. They are the only things on this plain of existence Bill cares about. Unless of course...You'd rather me kill that old man. What was his name? Stanford?" Mabel took another shot at Willow as she threatened gruncle Ford, the water dropping from around Dipper and seeping back into the stream as if it was repulsed. In moments the blue flames returned, and Williams eyes turned back to Bill's black and red pupil "NO!" the demon screamed, attacking Willow with more flames without any thought or direction. "NO NO NO NO NO. I WILL DESTROY YOU, YOU FILTHY WASTE OF MAGICAL ENERGY. YOU HEAR ME! I WILL DESTROY YOU AND YOUR PRECIOUS MEATSACK BROTHER!" The flames turned black, the heat obviously magical since it only seemed to burn the witch, who shrieked in surprise, and not Dipper despite it being all over Dipper's body as Bill grew angrier. The demon collapsed to the ground still shouting, one arm drawing water back towards him. Dipper looked up partially horrified as one eye was clearly Williams and the other was Bill's, the two of them actually inhabiting and controlling the bodies magic at once. "W...Willow. I...I WILL EAT YOUR LIVER YOU HORRIBLE LITTLE...I...Can't." 

Willow shot flames towards the conflicted being and his charge, engulfing both of them in a wall of fire. Dipper could hear Mabel cry out in the distance, the sound of an arrow releasing from its quiver filling the air. Dipper cried out in pain and clung to Billiam as the side Will controlled covered them both with water, though it refused to cover the part of him that Bill was controlling. "Dipper..." It was strange to Dipper for him to hear that in Bill's voice, the arm that Bill was controlling letting down Dipper's legs, while the arm William controlled pulled the weakened teen close against his side of the body. Dipper felt dizzy even as he was being healed, his stomach lurching in a way that made him feel nauseous. His mind raced as he tried desperately to process everything, the teen eventually leaning over the side of William's arm so he could vomit without it getting on the other teen. The contents of Dipper's stomach were emptied onto the ground below and he could feel the water barrier retreat as the arm not supporting his weight rub at his back. His mind reminded him that the other arm was under Bill's control, meaning the demon who was plotting some big time revenge against him and his sister was now trying to comfort him. He reached back and swiped at the arm, his eyes briefly locking gazes with Bill's eye "Please...I don't need your pity. I'm just...I need a moment. Or maybe six." Their shared expression was soft for a moment and it made Dipper feel kind of sick again, his thoughts wondering if Bill and Will's emotions were all being jumbled up together. "William, stop fighting me. These two aren't your friends. In fact, you're just playing into Bill's hands by being around them. I didn't bind you to that demon so you could help him. We agreed we were going to stop him." Willow spoke out again, the black flames engulfed by her own and her fire seeming to heal her skin which was blackened up to her shoulders. "You. Hurt. Dipper." 

Willow tilted her head, Bill and William's voices seeming to come out at once. Dipper felt the inklings of a panic attack, his breathing already elevated as he was leaned against a nearby tree. The abomination that was Bill and Will all in one left his side, the blond now stepping beside Mabel. "W...Willow." The voice was just Williams and Dipper could see that both hands were surrounded by water instead of just one. He wanted to be proud of William for taking back full control but he was too busy trying to focus his breathing. William's head turned towards Mabel as she spoke up, her bow still held at the ready,"I don't know you, and I barely know your brother. But I do know what it's like to be a twin and to want to protect your family. As such you just hurt mine, and I can't let you just get away with that...But if we could talk this out, maybe Dipper and I can help you? We've dealt with Bill several times." Mabel's voice was the most real thing to Dipper at the moment and he found himself subconsciously clinging to the sound, his breathing finally stilled as he listened to her talk. Mabel was constant, she wasn't strange or abstract and it was something familiar for him. "Stay out of this human. Or you'll be next." Willow threatened Mabel, speaking down to her, like how someone would talk to a young child. Mabel in response let another arrow fly, this one colliding with a tree just behind Willow, whose hands were still brimming with flames. "And William. What do you care if some normy gets hurt? He's nothing. In fact what better revenge for mother's death than to take Bill's revenge from beneath his very feet?" 

William shook his head violently, a stream of water darting forward and eradicating Willow's flames as they bee-lined for Dipper again. "I...He was nice to me Willow...I...Sometimes I see B...Bill's memories. Dipper...He's um...He's not just a...Normy? Which is kind of a rude thing to call someone. He...He defeated B...Bill. Helped his g...great uncle's to force Bill into the...The state between existences. And....A...And....I...Um." Willow broke out into laughter, her flames disappearing completely as she held her sides, the witch walking closer to Mabel and William. "You're joking, right brother? That's adorable and all but it will never work out. Let me get this into your head. Bill will make you kill that boy. He will make you watch as he is torn apart inside and out. He will rip him limb from limb, maybe even rebuild him and do it again. And again. You will hear his screams, his pleading. You will watch the life leave his eyes and he will ask you over and over again why you weren't strong enough to save him." Mabel notched another arrow and shot at Willow again, her body shaking though Dipper couldn't tell if she was angry, crying or both. "Shut up Willow! You...I won't...You don't..." William stuttered and struck at his sister, her skin sizzling like a hot pan that was put under a faucet. "Ask him yourself. Look Mabel in the eyes Bill, and tell her exactly what you're going to do to her and her brother. Let William hear exactly how you will destroy that boy." 

"You think I don't know all of that? I know Bill hate's Dipper and I. I know he wants us dead. I'm not stupid. But there's more to that insane little demon that just that. You see, he's infinitely more powerful than either of you will ever know. Trust me...I was there for the end of Gravity Falls. I succumbed to his powers. He had so many opportunities to kill Dipper, even now, even though he's mostly powerless in your brother's body. He has had many more opportunities to kill Dipper and I than he had a year ago when we last kicked his butt. And still, he's saved Dipper's life several times tonight. He let William extract water from Dipper's lungs when we...When we found him half drowned in the river. And he even insisted on taking the burden of making sure he was ok for himself. His reasons are probably selfish, and he hates us because we defeated him. But he also isn't as one dimensional as you'd think. There...I don't believe in pure evil or pure good. I'm not purely good myself, heck I punched a unicorn. Either way Bill isn't completely bad. I can't believe that after tonight. Not after he saved my brother when he didn't have to. Saved me from being killed by a crazed manitaur." 

Mabel looked towards William, his eyes slowly being overtaken by Bill's as he stared back. His expression was pure shock, his body quivering just slightly. In the background she could see that Dipper passed out against the tree, but not before emptying the contents of his stomach again. "Shooting star...I...You're wrong about me. I highly intent to Kill-" She smiled as Bill tried to retort, his expression still holding that disbelief and shock. She laughed warmly before hugging the demon, feeling just how much he was shaking as she wrapped her arms around the much taller teen's torso. "It's ok Bill. It will be ok. You're just trapped and scared and angry. You want to go home but you also want to get back at us for what we did. I understand that...I use to hate you and be afraid of you. I had nightmares every night for a year. But then I realized, never once did you kill anyone. You never actually intended to. And...You still don't. You're insane and unstable and a little sadistic. But you're not a killer." She smiled slightly when she felt arms around her, her shoulder wetted from tears that the demon obviously had no control over. His body hiccuped from time to time and it seemed like, for just a moment, Mabel actually understood the crazy little triangle. For a moment she even felt safe around the demon which she never thought would happen. She wanted desperately to reach out to Bill, her family having such a long and overwhelming history with the demon. And she knew full well it would have been easy for him to just leave Dipper in that river, to not help her scour every inch of it until the found him. 

The warming moment ended abruptly, a searing heat covering her and Bill and forcing both of them back as a huge blast of fire hit them. She fell a few feet away, rolling to put out the flames and from the general impact. She could just barely make out Bill's form just a little ways away, the demons eyes completely closed making her wonder if he took the brunt of the fall to protect her. "That was awfully touching, and it's clear that demon has you indoctrinated. In fact, I'd do you a service if I ended you now before he could make you his servant or...Worse." Willow was now above Mabel, glaring down at the brunette with a coldness Mabel had seen in gruncle Ford before he'd nearly lost gruncle Stan and they went on their cross seas trip a year ago. "You...You lost someone important. I get that. It's ok to hurt." Mabel spoke up, watching Willow stare down at her with a nearly wild expression. The older girl yanked Mabel up by her sleeve, glaring at her directly and shaking her just a little bit "Do not pretend you know my story human. You will never know how William and I suffered. You will never comprehend what it's like to be a witch in a world full of non-magic users. To lose your mother. Did Bill tell you about our deal? About how he tricked us? I'm sure you think your lot with him is sooo much worse than mine because you fought him a year ago. I assure you. You're entirely mistaken." Blue fire shot at Willow, surprising her long enough for Mabel to kick her in the shin and run back towards Bill, the demon struggling to his feet. She blew a raspberry at the witch before helping the demon straighten up, his hair sticking up in weird places from the impact he took. "That's a little more than unnecessary. Shooting Star was being polite." Bill called out, crossing his arms as if he was just casual though Mabel could see anger in his eyes. 

"I see the appeal from this one for you Cipher. She's gullible, easy to manipulate. One of those, the world is half full types. She's right about one thing though, you're powerless so long as William is fighting you...In fact." Willow strode away from Bill and Mabel and headed towards Dipper, the witch closer to him than either of the other two. They both darted forward, Mabel moving faster than Bill as she tried to beat Willow to Dipper. The witch stopped in front of the sleeping boy, throwing up flames as Mabel got close to keep her at bay. "How far is he willing to go for you?" She spoke softly to Dipper's sleeping form, her flames growing higher as she knelt down and tossed the slightly heavier boy over her shoulder. She grinned at Mabel and Bill through the flames, the demon's eyes glowing as he shot his own flames through hers, obviously trying to overtake her shield with his weak demonic fire. "If this one means so much to you, come find me in three days at the mountains peak. Surrender yourself or I toss him off the cliff. Ta ta lovelies. I look forward to see you again soon." Using a burst of magic, Willow disappeared with Dipper, her form retreating as Bill screamed a variety of profanic terms after her. Mabel herself lept through the flames, ignoring the pain as she was slightly burned, appearing on the other side just after Willow had disappeared with Dipper. The female twin cried out angrily, grasping her brothers cap which had been left behind when he was nabbed. Tears fell hot from her eyes, and her knuckles tinted white from how hard she had clenched them. She could smell her own hair as it had been singed by the flames and her clothes had holes and black marks but none of that mattered to her as much as the knowledge that Dipper had just been ripped away from her. "Shooting Star...Mabel. We're going to get him back. But...You need healed." Bill spoke beside her, his voice shaking just slightly and his eyes glowing from his anger. The demon knelt down beside Mabel his eyes slowly shifting back to Williams as he laughed maniacally "Sorry Kid. I'm all burned up right now. But not as much as she's going to be when I get my hands on her." 

Mabel sighed, feeling an exhausted weight and worry settle over her. She still clutched Dippers hat in her hands, even as William took control again and started using the nearby stream to heal her wounds. "Thanks William." Mabel spoke up, looking over at the other teen to see small droplets of water float up towards the sky only to fall down like rain. As the water fell back onto the ground below, every spot that had been burned by Willow and Bill was healed, grass returning and limbs regrowing where they'd been singed off. Mabel could only stare with amazement as the full moon illuminated the droplets, making them sparkle as they fell down from the canopy. The ground around them seemed to be glowing, little orbs of white magic dancing around the space where they had fought Willow. "William...I...That's beautiful." Mabel commented cheerily, looking towards the teen to see a steady stream of tears dripping down his face "S...Sorry. I...Dipper and you got hurt b...because I'm weak. I'm so sorry." William cried out, holding onto himself as he sobbed, the rain still falling steadily as if he had commanded the weather to sympathize with his sorrow. "William...It's not your fault. Come on...We need Gruncle Ford's help with this. He might know how to stop Willow without hurting her." She smiled warmly at the other teen, watching as he violently hiccuped and shook his head "No...I...I can't step foot in the shack. Not when Bill's awake. Y...Your barrier stops me...I mean...He's not awake r...right now...But if he wakes up inside the shack...It...It'll hurt."

Mabel nodded with understanding, reaching up timidly to wipe some of the tears from the boy's eyes "It's ok William. I'll bring gruncle Ford outside the shack to talk to you ok? But I'll make sure he's calm first...And you know. Dipper doesn't smile much. Especially not since Wierdmaggeddon. But he's been happy to see you these past few days so...You can't be all that bad." William gave her an appreciative smile, the teen standing up and holding his hand out to Mabel so he could help her up. Mabel happily took the help, her gaze returning to the spot where Dipper last was as she reconciled with what had just happened. "Come on William. We have a long walk ahead of us." She spoke warmly, the crying teen following behind her silently. The forest around them was now peaceful, the dangers from earlier passed and everything normal or as normal as gravity falls could get. Mabel wondered what exactly happened to make all of the monster's freak out like that, and what other effects the eclipse had on the forest but she figured it would be something she could ask gruncle Ford about, and if he didn't know then she could ask Bill when he recovered. It did worry her that Bill was actually a lot weaker than she'd first assumed, not even able to burn her when he'd tried so before they found Dipper in the river. It was just a fit of anger from him, and she knew even then that he didn't really mean to hurt her but at the time she'd been so afraid of him. Now that she had to fight a witch with him and confront their past together, she had an entirely different view of the dream demon. She even had a different view of William though she only had brief encounters with him before, and a few instances where he'd come looking for Dipper only to be turned away by gruncle Stan who insisted that Dipper had a job and unless William planned on helping out he wasn't about to just let Dipper run off. 

....

Dipper woke up on a cold, wooden floor. The room was made entire of wood as well and it smelled old and musty, the walls covered in holes that let in a cold draft. The roof was sagging against the structure of what appeared to be a small abandoned shack. There was just a few pieces of old wooden furniture which looked weathered and unstable just across a hallway. He couldn't see too much through the room, his eyes still aching from earlier. He tried to stand up so he could explore, his mind relatively numb and void of any real thought until he realized that there was some kind of heavy chain holding him back. He glanced behind him to see magical red chains attached to the wall, the chain itself very short and keeping him from moving too much from his current position. Annoyed he gave them an experimental tug, finding that they were in fact very sturdy despite being made of magic. He looked down at his feet next, wondering if his ankles had also been chained though he became more interested in the magic circle surrounding him. The rune's were unfamiliar, and different unusual symbols filled circles at the points of a pentacle. Confusion overwhelmed him and his head throbbed, his throat still aching and reminding him that the last thing he did was throw up. He tried to clear away some phlegm, his gaze darting side to side as he thought of ways to escape. He remembered that Mabel and Bill were fighting a witch named Willow before he passed out, and other than that the evening had been a relative blur. He didn't even know where he was though, if he had to guess, he'd say he wasn't safe and the chains weren't just a novelty item.

"Dipper Pines. You are a very fascinating person. Do you know I've already tried six different spells to try to control your mind. Still though...I can't seem to get access to that noggin of yours." Dipper looked up as the voice of Willow echoed through the room, the girl leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. Blue eyes glared down at him with annoyance though a coy smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. Dipper pulled again on the chains, glaring at the witch without any real heat to his gaze "You know, most people at least take a guy to dinner before they tie him up." Dipper snickered at he watched a blush run across Willow's face, the girl giving him an incredulous look. "You're joking around at a time like this? I admire the gumption weirdo." she spoke with disbelief, the witch placing what looked like a hawk talon on one of the circular runes. "So what's this? Are you going to summon flesh eating bats? Exorcise the non-existent demon living inside my icy heart? Replace my head with a lizards?" Dipper questioned, laughing at little as Willow just gave him a look that said 'you're stupid.' "No. I'm going to try one last thing to make you subservient to my will." Willow announced without any hint of amusement, the witch placing down things like lizards tails and a vial of blood on the other five runes. "What will you gain from that?" Dipper questioned, hoping to distract her long enough to come up with an escape plan. "I'm going to use you against Bill Cipher. He seems reluctant to harm you unless it's on his own terms. I plan to exploit that weakness." 

Dipper half hoped she was joking, but the look on her face told him other wise. He could only stare numbly as she left the room, her heels clacking against the wooden floors. He wondered if he was even in gravity falls anymore, or if she'd taken him outside of it. He also wondered if Mabel was safe, since the last time he saw her she'd been beside Billiam, trying to fight a witch with a crossbow. "Do you have a preference to Cinnamon or Lavender, Pines?" Willow called out from another room, her voice echoing against empty walls. "Um...Not really." he called back, confused until she returned with five long cinnamon colored candles. "Good. If you were allergic to Cinnamon I'd kill you sooner than I'd be able to control you and I have the feeling that, that would be a very bad idea." Willow giggled as she placed the Candle's, her gaze set on Dipper while he fussed again with the chains. "They know when you move. Is it uncomfortable?" Dipper grimaced, matching Willow's gaze and finding that she just seemed like a normal girl, even if she was trying to murder him earlier. One could even say she was kind of cute though he figured it'd be a bad idea to tell her such. "A little. I doubt you actually care though. How old are you?" he responded, turning his head while she circled around to his left and placed more of the unlit candles down. "Hmm...Not really. Why do you want to know how old I am?" She looked up at him again after placing the fourth candle, her expression null but Dipper could see curiosity behind her gaze. "Well, I'm probably not going to remember anything you tell me anyways but. I don't know. There's no harm in telling me right?" he argued, seeing the gears turning in her mind. 

Willow laughed, placing down the last candle and brushing some dust off of her skirt. "I guess not. I'm fifteen, and obviously so is William. Surprised? Witches aren't much different from normal Humans you know. We just...Live longer. And don't show our age until we're about ninety eight." Dipper furrowed his brow, not actually considering the fact that witches grew up just like humans did. He never really recalled seeing baby monsters and he just kind of assumed they fell under the same category. "Oh...That's actually kind of interesting. If I survive this I'll be sure to write it down in my journal." Dipper laughed a little at his own joke, Willow laughing just a bit herself while shaking her head. "I'd say sit still but you're not going anywhere...You almost make me -not- want to do this. Almost." He watched as Willow let again, the teen trying to grab for one of the candle's but the chains kept him from even trying to straighten his arms so he could reach them. He huffed under his breath wishing he had some way to contact Mabel, to let her know he was ok, well for the moment he was. "This will probably sting, but if the other three times didn't bug you, I doubt this time will either." Willow came back in with a thick black book and a worn ritual knife. On top of the book was a lighter likely for lighting the candles, and some kind of old cloth which was slightly tinted yellow. "Other three times?" Dipper asked, watching her put down the book and start lighting the candles in the same order she put them down in.

Willow smiled darkly at him, the shadows from the candle light making her look a lot more ominous than when she'd just been pacing around the slightly darkened room. "These rituals require the blood of the servant. I've cut you at least three times already. But hopefully this will have to be the last." Horrified, Dipper craned his neck, just noticing the bandages covering his left arm. He was glad she had the decency to tend to the cuts but he still wondered why it was his left arm she needed. "So...Why all on the left?" He verbally formed his question, watching her smile grow wider as she lit the next candle, the witch almost halfway around the circle by this point. "You write with your left hand. It has the strongest connection to your spiritual essence which in theory should make these spells work better. I'm only an apprentice in the darker arts so I could just be doing these wrong but this one...This spell works only on non-magic users. If it doesn't work then my initial suspicion will be confirmed." she reached up and pushed back Dipper's bangs, the teen jerking away from her touch as far as the chains would let them. Her smile was much less frightening now that she wasn't hovering over the candle's and he had to remind himself that she wasn't just some girl and she did intend to harm him. "Suspicion?" he questioned, watching as she made it around to the last two candles, the smell of cinnamon wafting through the air. She nodded absent mindedly, too focused on grabbing her ritual knife and old cloth from the cover of the book. 

Dipper could just barely see the title, his brows knitted together as he concentrated on the unfamiliar gaelic words. "You're Wiccan right? I thought Wicca was a religion of purity and cleansing...This spell you're about to use...Is illegal isn't it?" he watched her eyes flicker towards him with a bit of pride, guilt just briefly crossing her expression before she returned to him, carefully navigating past the candles. "I've already broken our sacred code. I summoned a demon and made a deal with it. I'm already succumbing to the power of the dark arts. No need to go back now." As she reached up Dipper noticed that her fingers on her left hand were completely black, the damage eerily reminiscent to the damage Bill had caused on her earlier. "Did Bill do that?" he asked, cringing as she made a concise cut to his arm. Blood dripped onto the rune, the sigels glowing as it touched them. After a few moments of letting him bleed, Willow wrapped the wound with the worn cloth her expression null. "Yes. His black fire is something common to that kind of demon. It's called judgement flames by the order. It judges a sinner and if they have taken in the black arts, it punishes them and leaves a mark for other witches to see." Willow turned away after securing the bandage, the witch returning to the worn book she brought in. She slowly turned the pages, using the light from the five candles to find the page she needed. Her eyes met with Dipper's one last time, Dipper's own reflecting the pity he felt for the girl before she started to read words completely foreign to him flowing from her throat. 

The circle beneath him glowed brighter, the candles almost burning his skin from the intensity as she read. He felt dizzy and his head hurt but he also felt like her words just bounced effortlessly off of him. He expected to slowly lose his grip with reality, to be able to hear her words echoing in his mind or some other way possessions are depicted in movies. Instead he felt annoyed, irritation driving him to tug a little harder on his chains than before. He could feel a little slack in them and he wondered if it was because she didn't have quite enough power to both do the spell and hold him with her magic. "This must be incredibly awkward for you." he spoke up as moments passed, the candles going out one by one after he spoke. Willow looked up at him with disbelief, her brow sweating heavily and the black on her fingers slowly crawling up her arm as well. "You...When did it first happen Dipper? Were you in danger? Afraid? Maybe you didn't mean to do it. Maybe you still aren't...No even someone ignorant can be manipulated." Willow spoke mostly to herself, the girl putting the book down with the page open in favor of pacing around the boy. Dipper tugged again as she paced, feeling the chains slack just a little bit more and allowing him to slump down a bit to relieve tension in his shoulders "When was the first time what happened?" he questioned, watching her gaze settle back on him for a moment, something akin to fear in her eyes. "When was the first time you used a spell?" she asked blatantly, stepping back just a bit as Dipper started laughing.


	10. Gnxr Zr ubzr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mabel, Ford, and Bill have to put aside their differences in order to bring Dipper back home safely but with Ford and Bill's past it seems like an impossible task. With Willow being a woman of many words and a master manipulator it seems as if even Ford is taken over by her so called words of wisdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of kept going with this one too. I want to get as much out during my break as possible just in case my class load gets heavier next week. I hope everyone's enjoying the story. I'll keep an eye out for any inconsistencies or grammar issues.
> 
> There is a small blood warning for this chapter, as well as some vomiting. If you're uncomfortable with either of those things the parts involving them are small so they are skimmable.

Dipper pulled his arms completely to his side, the chains disappaiting while he was distracted by his own laughter. He recalled the very first spell he ever did was to save gruncle Stan from Bill and the memory of it was hilarious to him now. Somehow, Bill's actions a year ago saved him from becoming this witches puppet and that tickled him senseless. "Oh...Oh man, I'm sorry. I don't mean to laugh Willow. I was twelve, and my uncle had his mind invaded by Bill. I found a spell in an old book and used it to pull myself, Soos, and my sister Mabel, into my great uncle's mind so we could stop Bill's plan to steal the code to my great uncle's safe, and we literally defeated him with kittens and synthesized music. Geez, I never imagined that fighting Bill back then would actually save me in the future. I...Oh, I had hoped to put all of this behind me but here I am in some abandoned building with a homicidal witch. I just..." Dipper paused in his rant, tears falling from his eyes as the weight of everything finally settled down on him. He just wanted a summer where he could explore gravity falls with his great uncles before they left again for the arctic but no, Bill returned and now there's witches out to kill him. Well at least one witch. He could hear the clang of Willow's heels on the floor in front of him before he could see her knees on the ground. He wanted to hit her and scream and just fight but he also just kind of wanted to cry, and hang his head. He had a feeling that the world (or at least Gravity Falls) could end all over again and he wasn't even sure if he had the strength to stop it this time. He barely had the strength to defeat one fifteen year old witch with serious anger issues. "You...I'm sorry Dipper. I'd take you home but I can't. You're the only leverage I have to get my brother back." Willow spoke softly to him, her arms wrapped around him so gently it was almost as if she was afraid he was going to break. Dipper laughed at the irony, tilting back so he could look up at the older girl "Weren't you just trying to enslave me a minute ago? Why be nice to me now?" he couldn't keep his tone from coming out caustic, he wasn't even sure that he wanted to try considering everything this girl, no witch, had put him through in just a few hours. 

Willow laughed solemnly, letting Dipper go in favor of moving to the farther end of the room. Dipper took advantage of his ability to move a little by rotating his wrists ankles, feeling the joints pop as the circulation returned. "Because you're not too different from me. I just assumed you were some human who was high on his luck...Look I may not have kept to the code...I may have broken rules. But harming another sorcerer...That's as bad as we can get. I deserve these scars." her voice had a low cadence, and as Dipper looked up he saw that she was looking down at both of her arms, the once light brown skin now black up to her elbows on each side. "I'm not a sorcerer but...Ok...Um, does that...Does it hurt?" Willow shook her head at Dipper as he gestured to her arms, the witch sitting down near the door frame to give Dipper space, though she seemed to be keeping a close eye on him. "Alright...Where did you find this book?" he asked, standing up on slightly shaky legs so he could look at the book she had been reading from. None of the words were in english so he had no clue what they were actually saying but the diagrams on the page interested him and he could make out a few familiar objects. "William and I weren't always aware we could use magic, but this old witch in town swore up and down we were immensely powerful. We never really talked to our mom about it and our dad left when we were three. Anyways I got that from the old lady, Will and I wanted to learn healing magic after our mother...When we found out she was sick." Dipper nodded as he listened to Willow's tale, he was certain there was a lot she was leaving out but he wasn't going to press it. 

He found it extremely nerve wracking that Bill had a penchant for bothering twins. Sure there was Gideon, but Gideon willingly sought Bill out so that one could be explained. But Willow, William, Stanford, Stanley, Mabel and himself. They were all twins, and though he couldn't say they were all related, he knew at least he and his gruncle's were. "When -can- I go home?" Dipper asked as he sat with his legs crossed, pawing through the pages of the old book. "I told Bill I would give you back if he surrendered himself in three days. Don't worry, you'll be given back to your family." Dipper gave her an uncertain look, the boy chewing at his lip since he didn't have a pen to chew on. "And...If he doesn't surrender himself?" Dipper braved, meeting a rather grim expression from Willow. Whatever she was thinking couldn't have been good if the blackness slowly creeping past her elbows was any indicator. "I'll torment you until he surrenders. It's not personal. Heck, if we'd met...If I met you sooner. You're a good guy Dipper." Dipper felt like his veins had turned to ice and he couldn't help the nervous laugh that passed his lips. This witch was clearly mentally unstable, seeing as she was kind one minute and threatening his life the next. Her mannerisms reminded him of how flippy floppy Bill could be at times "I...See. That's. I want to say that's ok but honestly it's not." 

Willow smiled eerily at him, her eyes seeming to glow like the first time he'd seen her and her teeth glinted through the light of the fire around her hands. "I know." she spoke with malice, her expression completely void of guilt and the strange black pigmentation curling up past her elbows. Any thought Dipper had that told him she was just a hurting girl disappeared and was replaced with fear and uncertainty.

....

"Mabel we're not having this conversation and that's the end of it." Ford frowned as he met Mabel's eye, the female twin crossing her arms over her chest as she glared up at the older man. She'd just spent a half hour trying to convince him to come out and talk to Bill and William so they could save Dipper but as soon as Bill was mentioned Ford became completely unwilling to discuss the situation. "Do you even care that Dipper's been kidnapped by a witch? I don't like this any more than you do but we -have- to work with Bill." Mabel tried again to get her gruncle to understand the gravity of the situation but he just crossed his own arms and turned his back to her, the old man somehow looking smaller and more frail than she'd ever seen him. "Mabel...I'm sorry but I can't. You have to solve this one on your own." Ford spoke with finality, his voice wavering a little. Mabel stomped her foot and stormed back towards the elevator, the teen pausing for a moment to stare at the back of Ford's head "Dipper. Never gave up on you. He went into the depths of Bill's lair to save you. He braved death and conquered a creature whose powers were akin to a god's. Maybe he has more patience than me...Maybe he's just a better person. But if you turn your back on him now I will NEVER forgive you." She closed the gate behind her as she pressed the number one, her gruncle staring after her solemnly before he was gone from her sight. 

She marched out of the vending machine, and passed Stan who had just emerged from his room. The old man looked weary and tired, his eyes had heavy bags under them as if he had troubles with sleeping. She paused for a moment to stare at him before darting out the door, hearing her name groggily called by the old man. Outside William was playing with a long blade of grass, his eyes were in that strange mismatch of yellow and green and it seemed like he was talking to himself. The sun still hadn't come out, but the sky was finally tinting a soft yellow which dispelled the darkness of night. "Hey Will...Bill? Billiam." she greeted with uncertainty, seeing a grin split across the half of the face Bill was controlling. "That's almost as cute as Bipper, Shooting Star. So how did ol' fordsy take it?" he taunted at her, the demon clearly already certain that her gruncle had no intentions of helping them. Mabel huffed and sat down in front of them, her own hand fiddling with the grass blades to stave off her annoyance. "He stiffened up the minute you were mentioned. Ugh, he's so hard to deal with sometimes. Just like Dipper, you just can't get through to him." 

Bill laughed heartily, the hand William was controlling reaching up to pat Mabel on the shoulder. She smiled warmly at the two of them, her heart aching as she considered how much they both must be suffering, seeing as they were trapped in the same physical form. "How did you two end up like this? I mean...When you were in Dipper's body at least you didn't have to share it." The two reached their controlled arms up and rubbed at the back of their head, neither looking very comfortable with the questions "Um...W...Well...When...When Willow and...And I summoned..." William stopped talking as Bill reached over and effectively smacked them both in the face, the demon rolling his eye. "If I leave it up to you, Stutters McCries a lot, then we will be here all day. Look Kid, it's really simple. I made a deal with two kids who I thought were just like you and your brother. Weak magical capabilities and all that, but instead I got a watery cry witch and his extra hot headed fire witch twin sister who has enough power to make a demon shiver with...Well don't worry about that one. Deal went south and his power crazy sister locked me inside of his body in hopes that he could hold me back long enough for her to eradicate me. Too bad for her, water works over here is INSIGNIFICANTLY INSUBORDINATE, and doesn't posses a brave bone in his body. Quite boring compared to messing with you and Pine Tree." 

Mabel pouted and gently patted the side of their face that William was controlling, the boy trying his best not to cry while Bill ripped him a figurative new one. "So now you can't access your powers right? At least...Not most of them?" Mabel questioned, watching as Will faded out and let Bill have full control. The demons expression was akin to that of a kicked puppy, his pride obviously a little more than bruised. "Shooting Star, I am a mind demon who thrives off of nightmares and CHAOS. I have been cut off from the mind scape for a year and now I am trapped by Williams magic filled body only able to sustain myself on what little power he's capable of mustering. If he was any weaker I would have overcome him and had this vessel to myself but I'd be unable to use it. I'd be forced to live out his pathetic mortal fleshy existence...And when he died? I don't...I don't know what would happen to me. Look it's simple, Willow and William were planning on sacrificing William's life in order to trap me to your plane as nothing more than a weak human who is burdened by human needs and limitations. She just didn't count on the fact that her brother, while slow to learn, is actually immensely powerful. Kind of like you shooting star." Mabel smiled taking that as, as close to a compliment that she was going to get out of Bill. She knew there was more to this story than he was giving out but she'd take what she could get. It seemed to her that Bill was hurting enough from this situation without her rubbing salt into the wound, as tempting as the thought was. 

"Thanks for sharing Bill...I know that couldn't have been easy. We do need to figure out what we're going to do about Dipper though. Is there anything Will can tell us about his sister?" she smiled hopefully, anticipating William coming back out so she could talk with him more too but she was met with an annoyed stare from Bill, the demon not seeming to be pointing the gaze at her but rather internally. "He doesn't want to help." Bill announced, dashing any hopes Mabel had of getting to know the boy better. She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. Dipper was the one who was good at this stuff, not her. He always knew what to say and always had the plan, she only survived things because of dumb luck and his quick thinking. "Alright...Well...Any ideas Bill?" Bill shook his head, the demon ripping some grass out of the ground with sadistic glee "No. We only have two options here Shooting Star. Either I surrender myself to that witch, or I die trying to get Pine Tree back to your precious little family." Mabel frowned at the suggestion, the female twin immediately standing up so she could glare at the demon "That is NOT an option Bill. A year ago I would have gladly sacrificed you in order to get Dipper back, but I can't. You're not -bad- a bit unstable maybe but-" Mabel was cut off as Bill lifted her up by her neck, the demons grip fairly hard though she could still breathe. He was glaring into her eyes, an animalistic grin splitting across his face "Oh naive, sweet Shooting Star. You don't get it do you? When this witch is off my back, I am going to tear into your family. I will make your deaths agonizingly slow and painful. In fact, just because you think OH SO HIGHLY of me, I'll kill you last. I'll let you watch as I flay your family alive and feed their still living bodies to my friends. I was going to let Stanley be the last one to die but you, oh your tears would be SO MUCH SWEETER." 

Mabel struggled slightly in Bill's grip, his words terrifying her at first but as she looked down into his eyes she saw no real heat behind his actions. She realized that he wasn't choking her on purpose, he didn't -want- to. She opened her mouth to speak, her words running dry as she heard a shout behind her that made her brow sweat and Bill's eyes widened just slightly "Put my great niece down this instant Bill." She didn't have to look behind her to know it was gruncle Ford, the elderly man already yanking her loose of Bill's grasp. He checked her over for injuries before standing to glare the demon down, Bill looking so much smaller than him while trapped in a fifteen year old's body. "Fordsy. What a pleasure." Bill practically purred out, the demon stepping to the side as Ford took a swing at him. The demon laughed darkly, actually seeming glad that he was shorter than Ford so he could dodge around him. "I want you to stay away from my family Cipher. I should have killed you when you showed up with Dipper that night!" Mabel gave Bill a questioning stare, the demon shrugging after he ducked under another of Ford's swings, the man's fist colliding with William's shoulder and making the demon wince slightly. "Great uncle Ford wait, that's not just Bill's body!" Mabel shouted, grabbing her uncle's arm as he went to take another swing.

Ford sighed and lowered his arm, shooting a glare at Bill who seemed to be taunting him from a fairly safe distance. "I thought we were rid of you Cipher. I erased you inside of Stanley's mind. How are you even still alive?" Bill laughed at Ford's question, the demon holding his sides from how hard he was spasming and his eyes peeking with tears "Oh. Oh man. You actually thought that would eradicate me Fordsy? I mean yeah, I was floating in the INFINITE VOID SPACE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH for a year, but this GENEROUS witch and his twin sister just so happened to drag me right back into this dimension. They even gave me a USELESS FLESHBAG to play around in." Mabel watched her great uncle's expression grow darker, a sigh passing her lips when she saw how much Dipper really was like him "Great uncle Ford, don't listen to Bill. He can't do anything while in Will's body. He couldn't even fight one thirteen year old with a backpack on." She could see the pout Bill was giving her from where she stood, the demon obviously bummed that she took away his ability to frighten her great uncle.

"I don't doubt you Mabel but...You cannot trust Bill, trust me on that. Bill will use any trick to get your guard down, and then just when he has your trust...He'll rip it all out from under you and stab you in the back with the knife he asked you to forge." Mabel felt like there was something deeper behind her great uncle's comment, but she also knew better than to press the issue since Ford wasn't exactly keen on sharing his life story with the younger twins. "Fordsy, I know we've had a pretty bad past but can't we put that all aside for now?" Bill spoke up with slight condescension in his voice, the demon obviously enjoying being able to torment Ford emotionally. The older twin for his part marched over to Bill, ignoring Mabel's protests, so he could punch the demon square in the jaw. Mabel stared at the two with absolute horror and disbelief, the demon shrinking away instead of fighting Ford or coming up with a snappy comeback which even Ford seemed to think was out of character.

"Feel better Sixer? I certainly hope so because the kid who's body this is won't be any time soon. Now then, hopefully I have your attention and we can actually talk about a way to save Pine Tree...Er...Dipper from his INEVITABLE AND UNENDING TORTURE. Given that the dam...Darn witch hasn't eviscerated the kid for his mouth yet." He and Mabel both watched Ford with some essence of hope, Mabel feeling a lot more crestfallen than Bill seemed to when her gruncle responded by punching Bill again. "Satisfied yet Fordsy?" Bill asked blood dripping from his left nostril and his face tinted red. He looked up at Ford in the same way Mabel had recalled Dipper looking at gruncle Stan when they had their big fight. "You deserve so much more than that after you tortured me and threatened to kill my entire family." Ford spoke bitterly, the elderly man crossing his arms over his chest in defiance. "I know Stanford...But please. Your great nephew could actually die here and NOT because I am the one going to kill him. Work with me here just this once, and then I swear on my ETERNAL SUFFERING AS A POWERLESS WITCH THING that I will leave the kid...At least for last. I'll even make it quick for him." Mabel scowled at Bill, his negotiating skills far from idyllic and she could tell her gruncle really wanted to punch him again though he was refraining for the moment. "Fine. But only for Dipper's sake. Once he's back with us I'm banishing you and I don't care about this boy's memories. Honestly with you in his body, he's better off without them." 

....

Dipper pulled against the chain around his neck, the red magic waning just a little bit but not enough for him to actually break free. He couldn't help the angry glare he shot towards Willow, the witch staring over the cliff while they waited for someone to show up. She had Dipper chained to the edge of the rock face leaving the teen unable to move very far from the source, though there was plenty of room for him to go over the side. Anger more than fear ran through his gaze as he watched the path winding up to the peak, nothing but the occasional gnome or fairy having passed by for the past two hours. He'd been up there since dawn, since Willow hadn't specified a time for Bill to arrive she intended to keep him up there all day if need be. She hadn't really harmed him during the time he was captive, though the cuts she made for the rituals were taking a while to heal, which she told him was normal considering the cuts depths. "Can't I at least have some water?" Dipper tried to negotiate, the girl just glaring slightly at him before returning her gaze to the pass below. How she could see anything moving in the blurry scenery below was beyond him, and he honestly didn't dare look that way himself since he was already precariously close to falling off. "What about a pee break?" he tried again, Willow simply shushing him with evident irritation.

Dipper huffed, knowing that the only way out of this was down, but it was a steep cliff face and there would be no way to lower himself to safety. He didn't particularly feel like dying for Bill's sake and it's not like Mabel was the one who was in danger so there wasn't much motivation on his part to look for an escape route, though the challenge of it was certainly appealing enough for him to peek around for ideas. "Sit still Dipper before I break your ankles." Willow threatened, flaring fire from her wrists as a warning. Dipper sighed, leaning back just slightly before the overwhelming feeling of falling made him sit back up again. He was hungry, thirsty, tired and just plain bored with this whole damsel thing. He hated not having a good out and trying to talk her into being distracted hadn't quite worked this time, even when he managed to get her to talk about magic and different properties to magical spells. 

....

The sun was blaring on Dipper's back as it sat at it's highest point in the sky, it's beams creating waves off of the stone surface around him. There was no shelter from it on the cliff face, though there were a few tree's just a short walk from him. He wanted to crawl towards them just for some relief from the onslaught of summer heat like Willow had, but the chain kept him firmly in place. It annoyed him that the witch had fallen asleep under one of the tree's, but the magic didn't even wane a little bit while she snoozed in the shade. "This sucks. It's hot, I'm hungry, and every second leaping off of this stupid rock looks even more appealing." he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "As funny as that would be Pine Tree, I'd personally prefer if you didn't. Ford would break my neck." Dipper looked around as he heard the familiar voice, his eyes locking gazes with Bill who was floating just slightly above him. Dipper bit his lip to keep from screaming, the teen not even sure how the demon had gotten up there without Willow noticing but he'd certainly never been more glad to see Bill in his life. "How the hell did you get up here Bill? I've been watching the trail for hours." The demon chuckled in response, lowering himself carefully onto the plateau Dipper was chained against.

Bill held the chain in his hand, brows furrowed with confusion as he examined the red magic. He gave it an experimental tug before frowning, his attention diverted as a small stone skittered off the side of the cliff. He locked eyes with Willow, Dipper follow his gaze to find her standing at the edge of the shade with a murderous gaze. "If you weren't in my brother's body I would happily push you off of the edge." she announced, fire tickling at the edges of her fingers. Bill's eyes followed the flare of the fire, his own face splitting into a toothy grin "Seems someone is wallowing in their sins these days." he spoke tauntingly, the demon gesturing towards her arms which were blackened just past her elbows. Willow laughed in response, shaking her head slowly as she watched him mess with her magic. "You aren't powerful enough to break that Cipher, neither is Dipper." she spoke matter of factly, her head tilting slightly to the side as she observed the demon. Bill tore his gaze from her, the demon biting down on the chain only to jolt back as the chain started to steam, burning him and Dipper. "You're right Willow. I'm not but -he- is." he stood up, the sclera of his eye becoming an egg shell color and his pupils becoming small with a green iris. "William, really? Come over here before you get yourself hurt." Willow spoke without any amusement, her hands held out to her brother though she didn't step any closer than she was. "Ma...Mabel now!" William shouted, crossbow bolt shooting from within a bush just left of the trail up to the peak the sound making Dipper jolt. 

Willow smiled eerily as the sound echoed across the mountain, her flames melting the bolt just inches from her face. Dipper stared as the ashes and metal tip clammered against the stone. "That didn't work last time what makes you think it would work now?" she questioned, her attention fully on Mabel who was working on nocking another bolt. "Because I am the distraction." Mabel smiled gleefully at Willow, who gave her a questioning glance, the teen turning just in time to see gruncle Ford leaping out from the tree she'd been standing under with a thick metal net in his hands. The net wrapped around Willow, it's lacing glowing a bright blue as she tried to melt the metal. She recoiled back as if the material had shocked her, a sound that was half angry and half agonized leaving her throat. "You wretched old man, you should know better than anyone that -all- measures have to be taken to kill that demon!" Willow shouted, staring down gruncle Ford who seemed to hesitate for a moment. "of course I do, but putting my great nephew's life in danger is hardly one of those measures." Gruncle Ford's voice wavered, the old man standing up as Willow fussed violently in the net. "Isn't it? Look how far he was willing to go to save him? Since when has that demon ever willingly put aside his own interest for anyone else?" 

While Willow and gruncle Ford argued about the necessity of using Dipper to draw in Bill, William focussed on freeing Dipper from his sisters magic. He muttered some words in Latin that Dipper could barely make out. The chain around his neck dissipated, leaving behind just a glowing trail where it once connected to the boy. He grabbed onto William's hand as he teetered back slightly, his body not actually prepared for the loss of tension around his neck. Wary, though glad to be free, Dipper stood slowly the teen taking careful steps away from the ledge with Williams help. "Let me help you old man, I am powerful and you know it. I just want to rid this world of that monstrosity, and I'm sure you do too, so work with me here." Dipper and Mabel both watched their great uncle with judgement as he seemed to mull over Willow's words, the elderly twin casting a gaze over to William and Dipper. The two were just barely away from the edge, and William's eyes slowly turning back to yellow as he stared back at Ford. "Great uncle Ford, don't listen to her!" Dipper called out to his great uncle, the teen's eyes widening as his great uncle completely ignored him and threw the net off from around Willow. The witch stood, an expression of triumph on her face while she brushed the dirt from her skirt. She smiled, speaking to gruncle Ford though Dipper couldn't hear what she said from where he was. He saw his gruncle's eyes widen, the old man extending an arm out to stop Willow as she raised hers. Like slow motion, a blast of magic moved towards Dipper, time seeming to crawl and yet move so fast he didn't have time to react to it. It pushed against him, his breath expelled and his stomach and chest aching. He felt a sense of vertigo before he teetered back, falling off the side of the cliff while his hands grasped at empty air. He managed a fearful screech, his mind reeling as he swore he heard Bill and Mabel call out his name. Afraid to see the inevitable, Dipper closed his eyes while he fell, the wind rushing around him and reminding him of one of the times he and Mabel had rolled down the windows in their parent's care while driving down the freeway. 

Memories and regret flooded Dipper's mind, the teen not even certain how far he had fallen or how far he had left to go but he did know one thing. He didn't want to die. His promise to grow up with Mabel played over and over in his mind, and he struggled to picture how she'd do without him. It's not that he thought Mabel couldn't take care of herself but she was his twin sister, they needed each other in their lives. Daring to open his eyes he saw a flash of something golden beside him, his breath escaping him as something grabbed him and abruptly halted his descent. Dizziness and confusion overwhelmed him, his hearing dulled after having some much wind rushing around him and he was pretty sure the pressure from the sudden stop popped an ear drum. He felt himself, and whatever grabbed him, lingering for a moment before there was a slow ascent. He could feel arms grasping onto his side and legs, the teen only daring to open his eyes when something tacky hit his face. What he was greeted with surprised him, his mind spinning as he asked why. Golden eyes stared upwards, a slight glow emanating from them as Bill concentrated on lifting them up. His face felt funny from whatever hit him, the teen reluctantly bringing a hand up and touching the spot. Whatever it was, it was tacky and slightly wet with a smooth texture. He brought his fingers towards the sunlight so he could see what it was, blood lingering on the tip of his index. Concern overwhelmed him and he scanned Bill's face the best he could from the angle he was tilted at. The demon had blood dripping from his nose, some starting to ooze from the corner of his mouth which slightly grossed Dipper out. Needing to look away, Dipper looked down instead, the two not having gone very far from where he was caught, he got a sense for just how close they were to the jagged rocks at the bottom of the fall. A thought crossed his mind, Bill took a literal leap of faith. He had no idea if he had enough power in him to save Dipper before the fall killed him, let alone if he had enough to save himself but still he risked his life as well as Williams to try. 

Dipper found himself staring up at Bill with general disbelief, an unfamiliar feeling coursing through him as he saw just how much determination and strain was reflected in Bill's face. He could have easily left Dipper to die, in fact Dipper could think of a hundred or so rational reasons for Bill to do so, especially given his track record with foiling Bill's plans. The entire idea that he wanted to save Dipper was inconceivable and he didn't really picture William being convincing enough to persuade Bill Cipher into doing something so foolish. Sure Bill sometimes did things that seemed non-sensical during the events leading up to weirdmaggedon but nothing to this level, unless of course Dipper counted that time Bill left him to some very incapable minions instead of disposing of the pre-teen himself. The arrival to the peak of the plateau was slow, giving Dipper more time to try and rationalize Bill's actions than he really needed, in fact the time it took did more to induce a small anxiety attack than it did to provide him with answers. On top of that, Dipper couldn't get it out of his mind that his great uncle, a man he'd looked up to since he first found the journals, had so easily sacrificed him in order to stop Bill. He had come to terms with the idea that erasing gruncle Stan's memories was the only solution they could think of during weirdmaggedon, but certainly the four Pines could have come up with some plan together that didn't involve letting a homicidal witch send Dipper flying down a forty something foot, sheer cliff face. 

Bill raised them just slightly above the edge of the cliff, Dipper staring down below at his sister and great uncle who looked at him with equal relief and disbelief. Mabel waved her arms excitedly at him but Bill had brought him up too high for him to actually hear what she was trying to say. He followed her directions as she pointed towards Willow and gruncle Stan, the witches eyes shimmering red and it appeared as if her arms were now black up to her shoulders. He couldn't hear them, but he could see that Willow was talking to them, her hands burning again while she gestured wildly. "Bill, put me down please. I need to stop this before it gets worse." Dipper twisted so he could better look at Bill when he didn't respond, the demons eyes red and black though his face was still strained from effort while he worked at slowly lowering them back down. "Bill." Dipper tried again, the demon glancing down at him for a moment before lowering them down just slightly past where Mabel and Ford were. Dipper anticipated being let go, and tried to swing himself free so he could run to his family but instead Bill forced him back in place roughly, trapping Dipper's arms and legs so he couldn't easily get away. "Bill! What in the world are you doing?" Dipper yelled up at the demon, still getting the relative cold shoulder as Bill continued walking down the path. 

"Bill...I have to go back. Willow will kill Mabel and Ford if I don't." If that idea bothered Bill, he didn't show it, the demon still just ignoring Dipper even when the teen resorted to begging. He needed to go back and make sure his family was ok, he needed to help them against Willow but Bill was stubbornly refusing to let him and Dipper began to worry that maybe Bill planned on separating them so he could kill him before Willow got the chance to try again. "I wish it was that simple Pine Tree." Bill finally spoke, his gaze set on the teen and making the other extremely uncomfortable. The demon's eyes were completely black, no pupil left as he looked down at Dipper though there was still a faint golden glow coming from them which was both fascinating to Dipper and entirely terrifying. "W...What do you mean by that?" Dipper dared to ask, not even really sure he wanted to know but if he was going to die today he might as well know the hows and whys. Bill laughed pathetically, the demon pausing and finally letting Dipper down though he kept a tight grip on the teen's arm to prevent him from just running off to his family who were a little more than a mile back. "I can't really say kid. But lets this get ingrained into that pathetically hollow mind of yours." Bill paused for emphasis, his eyes glaring down at Dipper who was more focused on the blood that was still leaking from Bill's nose and mouth. "No one, and I mean no one, is allowed to harm you EXCEPT for me." Dipper furrowed his brow, ignoring the glares and ethereal shrieking from Bill in favor of wiping off a trail of blood running from his nose. Bill's eyes shifted back to their golden and black hue, the demon giving Dipper a confused looked before he continued walking, yanking so hard on Dipper's arm that he had no choice but to follow. Bill was so unpredictable and hard to read that sometimes Dipper wished he had some kind of mind reading device so he could get some sense of what the demon was thinking. "You wouldn't want that kid." Bill spoke back at him, his head turned, and Dipper guessed that he was looking at him. There was something about the demon's gaze, something completely predatory that made Dipper actually reluctant to fight the demon any further just so he'd calm down a little. 

.....

A sigh left Dipper, his eyes examining the forest around them since Bill seemed content to walk in silence. So many questions ran through his mind, so many things he felt he simply didn't understand about Bill and his motives. Knowing that he may never have all of the answers when it came to Bill annoyed him about as much as it intrigued him, it was like the chaotic demon was the one mystery that Dipper was perpetually incapable of solving . "DIPPER!" he paused alongside Bill as Mabel's voice echoed against the tree's, his sisters bright yellow sweater and neon bandages sticking out like a sore thumb against the green backdrop of the forest. He felt Bill's grip slacken, his gaze turned just briefly to the demon so he could question him before he was winded by a full speed hug from his twin. He could feel her ragged breathing, her body quivering and her eyes still tacky from crying as she leaned against him, her grip painfully tight. "Do you know how scared I was? I thought you were dead for certain. I...I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry but look...You and Bill have to get as far away from here as possible, in fact go off trail if you can. I can't explain right now but you have to trust me ok?" Dipper blinked at his sister, so many questions and statements floating through his mind but none of which he got to voice as he was literally picked up by Bill and tossed over his shoulder, the demon walking away from Mabel despite Dipper's protests. "I'll see you back at the shack ok dip n' sauce?" Mabel called after him, his sister bounding back the way she came likely to go distract their gruncle. "Bill, come on man. I can walk. I can even run if you'd let me." Dipper spoke up after Mabel was gone from his sight, the demon walking so fast that it was actually making Dipper feel a little sick. "No can do Pine Tree. I'm going to just lay this out there in hopes that your UNDERDEVELOPED PRE-PUBESCENT WASTE OF A SQUISHY THINK ORGAN can comprehend it. I CANNOT fight that witch. One of us WILL die."

Dipper sighed, his stomach aching with nausea and his head pounding. He was seriously concerned that he would start graying early if this kind of stress kept clinging to him, though being a peppered teenager was kind of an amusing thought. It didn't help that Bill was moving so fast that it made the forest spin, the trail long since gone from his vision and the voices of his family gone off in the distance. "Bill, please slow down, I'm about to throw up." Dipper called over to Bill, the demon finally slowing down and letting Dipper down. Feeling a wave of dizziness, he leaned slightly against William's taller figure, using him as leverage so he wouldn't faint. He could feel the sweat soaking through the sleeves to what felt like a knitted sweater, Dipper finally bothering to actually look at what Bill was wearing. It was one of Mabel's creations if the glittery yarn was any indicator, the sweater itself was a solid maroon with golden hand stitched letters reading "Illuminaughty." Dipper had to hold back a laugh, worried that if he opened his mouth he'd just throw up instead though he didn't miss the curious brow Bill lifted in his direction. Dipper gestured towards the sweater, watching Bill's gaze follow before he frowned something very akin to embarrassment flushing his cheeks "It was Shooting Star's idea ok? Look even she and your gruncle have one. Her's say Shooting Star with a star shaped crossbow on it and Ford's says Witch Busters on it." Dipper actually did laugh, the nausea coming up along with some stomach bile which he had desperately been trying to keep down. It was such a Mabel thing to do, to make matching team sweaters in fact he had no doubts that she made one for him too, just in case they had to work together again in the future. "You alright kid?" Bill asked as Dipper continued to empty bile from his stomach, there wasn't much else for him to give since he hadn't eaten in the three days that Willow had him prisoner though he did have access to water.

"Yeah, sorry Bill. Humans aren't known for their strong stomachs...It's just stress I promise." Dipper managed to speak past dry heaves, his body jolting as something touched his left arm. It took him a moment to realize it was Bill, the teen slowly turning to face the demon who had gotten uncomfortably quiet behind him. He found Bill's fingers ghosting over the bandages on his arm, the demons eyes flashing black and red for a brief moment before he locked gazes with Dipper. The amount of anger made Dipper want to retreat, even though there really wasn't anywhere to retreat to and after throwing up like that there was no way he was going to get very far. "What happened." Dipper had never been afraid of two word sentences but he figured now was a good a time to start as any. He found himself shrinking back, just for Bill to pull him forwards the demon being surprisingly gentle as he peeled back the first of the four lines of bandages going down his left arm. Beneath the worn cloth was a layer of dried blood and a long cut across half the width of his arm, the skin surrounding the cut tinted yellow which brought up concerns about possible infection in his mind. He considered speaking up but after catching Bill's expression he remained silent, letting him peel back the other wrappings to find the exact same thing though the cuts did vary in size. Without a word Dipper was dragged over to a nearby stream, Bill pulling him down to a kneel so he could rinse off the dried blood. The fact that Bill freaking Cipher was cleaning a wound instead of poking at it or trying to make it worse was beyond strange to Dipper, his mind bringing back the memories of the forks and knives from the cutlery drawer stabbing him repeatedly as Bill slammed the drawer back and forth against his arm. A knowing smirk crossed Bill's features, his eyes briefly meeting with Dipper's in a "I caught that" kind of way making Dipper scramble to redirect his thoughts. "Relax Pine Tree. I didn't cause these injuries so I'm not going to mess around with them. Demon logic, if it's not yours don't touch it." 

That statement brought absolutely no comfort to Dipper, in fact as he considered that Bill had harmed or otherwise messed with him several times since He'd first met the insane triangle it seemed to suggest that Bill saw Dipper as something he had ownership over. Another grin broke across Bill's face, white teeth shimmering from stray beams of sunlight that pierced through the overhead canopy. The look Bill was giving Dipper after he'd gone through that particular train of thought left him staring back at Bill in a kind of stunned silence, his mind even void of thoughts for a few moments. "Sheesh kid relax, no need to IMPLODE THE ORIFICES OF YOUR CRANIAL CAVITIES over a little joke." Bill offered up an out, and out Dipper gladly took in the form of nervous laughter, and some menial thoughts finally coming to mind. "Am I the only person whose thoughts you can read?" He wasn't entirely sure why that question out of any other's came out but he did actually want to know. Bill sighed, pushing a few stray golden strands out of his face and wiping off some sweat in the process. "Well, I can read Williams too but otherwise yeah. I use to have unlimited access to humanities collective conscious, able to flow through it like THE INTER WORKINGS OF A COLLECTIVE HIVE MIND MAKING SIMPLISTIC BEINGS JUST SLIGHTLY MORE INTELLIGENT OFF OF SHEER, SHARED BRAIN POWER ALONE. But now I'm limited to a very small sphere of influence, and before you ask the only reason I can read yours is because I've been inside your meat suit." Dipper considered that for a moment, the thought that a small piece of Bill was following him around everywhere making him physically cringe. He glared at Bill as he laughed, the demon brushing some dirt from his pants while he stood up his hands pruned from being in the water. 

"Alright Pine Tree. It's time for you to get back to your gross fleshy blood kin. I can only take you so far before I'll need to stop." Bill announced, helping Dipper to stand up. The idea of going back and confronting his family again made him uncomfortable, especially since his gruncle seemed bent on destroying Bill, not that he really blamed him but there were too many questions Dipper wanted to ask Bill for him to be ok letting the demon be destroyed. "Bill...Why -did- you save me? I know you said you're the only one allowed to hurt me or whatever but...I mean. You could have destroyed yourself and William, or maybe you wouldn't have made it on time and it would have been a waste of energy. I constantly fight you and foil your plans so I'm kind of having a hard time rationalizing why I am still alive right now." Dipper met Bill's gaze for a moment, his chest hurting from the intensity of the stare Bill was giving him and he found himself looking away almost immediately. "Wh...What's with that look Bill?" he managed to get the words out but he still couldn't bring himself to meet the gaze he knew was still on him, part of him already regretting asking. "Your sister is expecting you back at your stupid wooden mold structure Pine Tree...Hehehe...Pine Tree lives in wood." Dipper finally glanced back up at Bill, annoyance over-coming him not just from the dodged question but from the terrible wood pun Bill made. Bill simply gave Dipper a cheeky grin, the demon motioning for Dipper to follow him before he started walking again. Dipper sighed, deciding it was better just to follow Bill instead of harassing him for an answer especially if more puns were going to be involved. "Aw come on Pine Tree, you act like that was a PUNishable offence." Bill called back to him, the demon cackling loudly as Dipper let out a noise of exasperation the teen tossing his hands up in defeat. "Oh my god Bill, would you stop before I find some way to shut you up?" Dipper shouted at the demon, stopping mid step when Bill turned to face him his grin a little too please for Dipper's liking. "Stop what?" He asked innocently, the demon smiling as Dipper's left eye started to twitch "Oh never mind. Just keep walking you weird Dorito."

An amused sound left Bill after Dipper called him a Dorito, the demon looking back towards him with a raised brow. "Bill...Watch out for the...Nevermind." Dipper tried to warn Bill about the tree in front of him but the demon still walked right into it, the blond glaring at the tree as if it was sentient and knew better to be in Bill freaking Cipher's way. "Don't...Even...Pine Tree." Bill spoke through gritted teeth, glaring at Dipper as he came beside him while laughing. "Sorry, I just figured you'd have more SPACE-ial awareness." The look he was getting was almost picture worthy, all the way down to the slight twitch of Bill's left eye while he processed the horrible pun Dipper had made. "That angle was pretty narrow kid." Bill retorted after moving around the tree, his eyes glimmering with amusement while Dipper glared up at him. "Really Bill? Crappy three sided puns? You can do better than that." If Bill had water in his mouth, Dipper was sure he would have spit it out. The two filling the walk back to the shack with terrible jokes and even worse comebacks. It was kind of nice while being entirely weird to Dipper that he could even begin to get along with Bill though he was prepared to blame it on starvation, stress, and heat exhaustion. "Alright Pine Tree, this is as far as I'm taking you. For all I know, sixers got the shack booby trapped." Dipper sighed, glancing around to find he was at the growing crystals. He certainly knew his way back but he was also a little d̶i̶s̶a̶p̶p̶o̶i̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ happy that he didn't have to travel with the demon the rest of the way. 

"I'm guess it would be wishful thinking on my part to believe I'm never going to see you again?" Dipper stared up at Bill while the demon seemed to consider his question, a grin slowly creeping up the blond's face. "Not a chance in the ETHEREAL VOID OF NOTHINGNESS Pine Tree." Dipper sighed dramatically, expecting as much from Bill, after all the demon still had revenge to enact. "Right you are Kid. Can't let you slip under my radar when you're on the top of the list of people I'd like to strangle." Bill spoke cheerily, giving Dipper a wink before pushing the teen forward "Now get out of here kid before Shooting Star's emotions cause a MASSIVE ANEURYSM." Dipper snorted, picturing Mabel running around and freaking out after realizing she left her brother alone in the woods with a homicidal tortilla chip, "I'm not a tortilla chip kid!", especially if he didn't make it home soon. "See you around you insane, one-dimensional, trilateral being." Dipper called back to Bill before darting off towards the shack. He knew he'd probably be given a hard time when he got back, especially from his gruncles. In fact he couldn't even imagine how angry gruncle Stan probably was since he didn't get to go on this rescue trip, if he'd even been told at all, and that Dipper had been gone for three entire days after they'd had such a huge fight too.


	11. Yrnir n yvtug sbe zr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper returned to the shack, but only to be grounded by Stan and Ford. He must find a way to continue to solve the mystery behind Bill's action while being confined to the shack. What he didn't expect was an unlikely visitor, let alone being caught chatting with said visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to be a bit more relaxed, there is quite a bit of plot in it but there won't be any major battles (if you don't include a little family drama.) Spring break ends for me on Monday so updates like these aren't going to be as frequent. especially since some of my classes still haven't administered a mid-term yet. 
> 
> Also the sheer amount of cuteness in this one about killed me. I hope you guys enjoy :).

"Dipper Pines, you are grounded to the shack do you hear me? And I mean grounded. No monster hunting, no mysteries, and no demon chasing." Dipper stared between his two gruncle's, both Stan and Ford giving him a look of disappointment. Guilt knotted up in Dipper's throat, his mouth feeling dry and preventing him from wording anything. "Do we have and understanding boy?" He glanced to his gruncle Stan, begging him mentally to change Ford's mind but Stan just shook his head and averted his gaze from Dippers. Desperate, he turned back to Ford trying to get some sense of leeway or relief from such a harsh punishment "Great uncle Ford, you know we can't just ignore...This issue. It won't go away on it's own. I can help, if you'll just let me. I promise I'll stay out of trouble, I'll even carry a walkie talkie but please...Don't take this away from me. I love going monster hunting as much as you do. Please gruncle Ford." Dipper felt disheartened as Ford shook his head, the elderly man pointing towards the stairs that lead up to his room. 

"I'm sorry Dipper. But this is for your own good. If something happened to you, Stan and I would never forgive ourselves."Dipper couldn't help feeling angry with his gruncle's, especially Ford seeing as it was partially his fault that he'd nearly died today. The part of him that wanted to act out screamed for him to word his opinions but the other part of him, the part that still desperately wanted his gruncle's to accept him and be proud of him, told him to stay quiet "You...You'll come to me if things get out of hand. Right gruncle Ford?" Dipper felt a wave of resignation, dismissing all of the rebellious thoughts in his mind despite the temptation to act upon them. He could see gruncle Ford's fingers twitch in a rhythmic motion, a tick the old man had when he was thinking. He stared at Dipper for a long moment before heading towards the gift shop area, leaving Dipper to wonder if he'd actually take him up on the offer.Disappointed, and a little hurt Dipper turned towards the stairs to the attic, the teen pausing when gruncle Stan placed his hand on his shoulder. "Sorry kid. I'd help ya but...I don't want to lose you. Before you and Mabel came along...Ah don't worry about. Just relax for the afternoon kiddo. I'll try to talk to poindexter. No promises though. And even Soos and Melody said they want you inside." Dipper wanted to say thank you, or I'm sorry, something to his gruncle but he couldn't get the words to come out. Instead he just continued for the attic, pausing to cross glances with Mabel before he resigned himself to sit in his room so he could mull over the day's events. 

He sat at his desk for a while, staring forward at the wall while his mine drifted through its thoughts. He had tried to open the window earlier only to find it had already been locked preventing him from going out it or opening it to let in fresh air. The sun's rays were still shimmering through the glass, and If he craned his neck he could see a few tourists walking around outside, being led around by Soos and Stan. He guessed that Melody or Ford were working the gift shop since he wasn't asked to, which meant that he and Mabel could do whatever with the rest of their afternoon. Well Mabel could, Dipper for his part was stuck to just the shack. Part of him longed for the forest, even though his past few days had been trying, the woods always serving as a way to calm him and keep unwanted thoughts at bay. 

"Hey Dipper...Can I come in?" Dipper sighed when his sister's voice sounded from the other side of the door, his eyes glancing towards his alarm clock to see it was only five o' clock. He'd hoped to waste time trying to formulate a plan to interrogate Willow, or at least talk to William, in spite of being grounded so he didn't even anticipate seeing his family until Dinner time. "Uh...Sure thing Mabs." He pulled a disingenuous smile across his face, his sister not really indicating if she bought into it or not while she let herself in. "How are you?" She sounded nervous, and it made Dipper wonder if she thought he was going to yell at her or take his anger out on her. It's not something he did often, and not something she did often either, but from time to time the two of them would yell at each other when wound up. He decided this wasn't going to be one of those times. "I'm alright Mabel. A little upset with the Stan's, but I'm ok...I'm confused...And kind of scared...But hey, I'm alive." 

He had hoped that opening up a little bit would make her feel happy, since every time he tried to hide his feelings Mabel would just seem put off or feel like he didn't feel he could trust her. In this case however, it just seemed to make her sad, her eyes cast towards her purple shoes. "Thats...I really thought I was going to lose you Dipper. When you went over the cliff, when I watched you fall. It felt like forever...I couldn't find Bill, and gruncle Ford was busy trying to fight Willow...I couldn't stop thinking about what I was going to do without you. What was I going to s...say to mom and dad? What w...would I tell my friends? How could I live with myself knowing that I was alive and you were gone?" Dipper felt frozen in place, his sister crouched down holding her knees and sobbing while she spoke. Those thoughts had run through his mind too and he felt guilty, guilty that he hadn't come up with a plan, that he put Mabel in the position to feel that way to begin with.

Not able to find words, he just got up from his chair and knelt down in front of his twin, pulling her into what they would have joked as being a sincere sibling hug. His chest hurt when she clung to his shoulders, snot and tears running down her face, which was red from the effort of her crying so hard. For once he didn't mind that Mabel was squeezing him a little too hard, because he'd been where she was now. When Weridmaggeddon started, and he couldn't find her, didn't know if she was alive or if maybe she was injured. He'd thought the exact same things, and felt the exact same way but he didn't have to see her in a life threatening situation, he was able to tell himself that she was fine because he hadn't seen her not fine. This wasn't the case for Mabel today, and even Dipper didn't think he was going to be fine. 

"Dipper...Promise me that you'll start taking me with you. I know our gruncle's can't keep you in all summer, but I don't want you to run out there and all of a sudden I never see you again. I don't care if I already have plans, or if Candy and Grenda are over. Just...Take me with you." Dipper ran his hand up and down Mabel's back, trying to soothe her the best way he knew how. Affection and even feeling talks weren't his strong suits, in fact he struggled to have conversations outside of their small group of friends in Gravity Falls but he knew Mabel needed this, he knew what she'd do for him anytime he broke down. "I...I'll try Mabs. If it will make you feel better, I'll only go out when you're available." He knew he was lying, and if the look she gave him said anything, she knew too but it's what she wanted to hear and without saying so, he knew she appreciated that. "So...Are we going to talk about Bill?" And there was the thing Dipper desperately wanted to avoid, not just because he didn't have an answer but because he didn't want to find one. He was happy just leaving it as a fluke in Bill's unpredictable nature even if he knew in his heart that, that was impossible. 

"I don't really know if there's anything -to- talk about Mabs. He never gave me a reason, and trust me I asked. I mean...He said he's the only one allowed to hurt me which puts in some implications that I personally would not like to delve into right now but...I honestly don't know why he did that Mabs. I'm glad he did, I didn't want to...But I don't have an answer for you, I'm sorry." Mabel seemed to accept that, which made Dipper immensely happy, his twin gazing around as if searching for something else to focus on. He just wished she'd found something else, anything else but what she asked "Where'd you get these cuts?" He felt sick, physically, emotionally, mentally sick. He didn't actually want to bring back those memories, to talk about what happened while Willow had him in that musty, dilapidated, abandoned house. His mind rushed with words thrown back and forth, with rituals and unfamiliar words. He had to remind himself that he wasn't there any more, his fingers digging into his palms as a way to ground himself. He faintly was aware that Mabel had nervously whispered his name, her hand brushing across the surface of one of the cuts. He dared to meet her gaze, immense concern and worry reflecting back in his sister's eyes and he couldn't help but wonder if she thought he did this to himself. "I...Willow tried to um...Use some spells on me that kind of required my blood. None of them worked though so...So you don't have to worry." 

He watched her expression turn dark, pure hatred in her eyes while she stared down at the four cuts along his forearm. He wanted to say something to reassure her that it was ok but he couldn't come up with the words. He find himself numbly watching as Mabel rolled up his sleeves, looking for more injuries only to find the remnants of runes that had been written into his skin. She probably would have searched all of him if she could have, and likely would have found more things to be angry with but she just seemed to pause at the first set of runes on his shoulder a silence falling over the two twins. He gazed at his sister, her eyes meeting his for a moment of solidarity before she let the sleeve drop and her fists unclench. "What kind of spells?" Dipper felt himself physically flinch, when Mabel finally broke through the silence. Her expression was so full of emotion that he wondered if he'd start crying just from the intensity. "She...She wanted to force me to fight with Bill...She believes that Bill's motives are to harm us on his own terms and he can't do that if I'm being controlled by a witch." Dipper felt gross, his eyes leaving his sisters in favor for looking down at his own hands. He had considered that perhaps Willow wouldn't have stopped at Bill, perhaps he'd be made to do other things. She had told him that he would be consciously aware of everything he did, but unable to do anything about it and that scared him. Sure having Bill in his body a year ago was similar to that, but at least he didn't have to physically feel the consequences of Bill's actions until after he got the body back. "Dipper...I'm so sorry. I'm glad it didn't work. Not only for your sake but...And this is going to sound crazy, but for Bill's too. Don't give me that look, just hear me out. When we were talking about how to get you, he talked about alternatives to the plan gruncle Ford came up with, but never once did he suggest that we just leave you or that he was going to y'know...Not show up. He even talked about surrender." 

Dipper didn't know what to say, at first he thought Mabel was just being her usual boy crazy self but when she started to explain, he was surprised. He kind of imagined that Mabel dragged Bill along unwillingly, or perhaps bribed him somehow but the knowledge that he went through all of that without ever considering abandoning Dipper added all new levels to how complicated everything was with Bill. "I...I don't get it Mabs. I really don't. Bill obviously wants revenge for what the Stans did, in fact once Willow's gone I don't even want to think about what his next plans will be...But...I'm sorry I need time to think all of this through, I need to connect dots...I need to formulate." He realized that he was both ranting and panicking all at once, his breath elevated and his pulse racing against his neck but his mind was swarming already with ideas and theories, things he needed to get out and explore. He felt Mabel's hand touch his shoulder, his eyes meeting hers when he felt her staring. She gave him a patient smile, her hand rubbing gently at his sleeve to keep him level with a normal plane of thought. It was just something that came with the territory of having Dipper for a brother, the two of them going through this similar interaction since Dipper was at least eight. "Sorry Mabs." He offered up as his breath evened out, Mabel laughing slightly under her breath like she always did when he apologized. She may not have seen it as such, but Dipper always worried that he was a burden for his sister when he got worked up like that of course if gruncle Stan was to be trusted it was a trait he shared with gruncle Ford. "I need yarn Mabs, lots of yarn." Mabel nodded, patting Dipper's shoulder before getting off of the floor the wood grain leaving small indents in her skin. She smiled warmly at him and gave him a thumbs up, not needing to do much else to confirm Dipper's figurative order. 

"Well Dip dip, I should go downstairs and see if the Stans need any help with dinner. I'll come let you know when it's ready so you can just focus on formulating or whatever nerd things you do up here." She gave him a playful shove and a wink before Dipper was left alone. He sat in place for a few minutes and let his mind wander, different theories popping up and being disputed all in one instance. He decided it would be better to get the ideas on his cork board even if he had a limited amount of string. He rushed to his desk side and took out a stack of sticky notes, some pictures, and thumb tacks before he got to work on his cork board. As terrifying as it was that Bill was back and there was a witch following in his shadow, Dipper was actually really excited about the fact that he had mysteries to solve again. Sure there was going around and double checking the populations of the monsters in gruncle Ford's journal and that was fun, but this was stimulating for Dipper. Solving the unknown or unknowable felt like what he lived and breathed ever since coming to Gravity Falls that first summer, and it's something he could proudly say he'd be content spending the rest of his life doing. 

By the time Mabel came up to tell him dinner was done it was seven o'clock, and he was up to his neck just about in sticky notes and what bit of yarn he had brought with him. Mabel hadn't even bothered knocking, the female twin laughing loudly when she saw her brother. Unaware that his sister had been there, Dipper whipped around in his chair while wielding a pen in his hands. He met her gaze and realized how silly he must have looked, especially with notes clinging to his arms and face. "Mabel...I um. Didn't hear you come in." Dipper rubbed at his neck, removing a few sticky notes, adding them to the pile of miscellaneous theories he had climbing up the side of his desk from the floor. He crinkled his nose at Mabel when she laughed at him, a grin splitting across his face when she started to snort. "Haha, dinner's done you walking notepad." Dipper smiled back at her, finally extricating himself fully from his notes so he could make his way downstairs. He had plenty of ideas roaming around in his head, but it was nothing solid and ninety percent of his theories required squirming information out of Bill for confirmation.

"Mabel, sweety could you get the ketchup? My no good brother put it on the bottom shelf to spite me." Dipper snickered to himself as he overheard gruncle Stan talking to Mabel from the kitchen, Ford busy looking through what looked like another of his new personal note books. He refused to call them journals, the original three holding a special place for him but he did keep a variety of notebooks that he used to organize his thoughts and discoveries. "Dipper, can you get the biscuits from the stovetop for me?" Mabel called over to him as he made his way into the dining space, the teen giving off a fake sigh of exasperation and trudging slowly over to the stove. "I gueeess your majesty." He almost felt like it had been too long since he and Mabel just messed around like that. The school year left them on their own separate paths and since arriving in Gravity Fall's it had been nothing but drama and dealing with Dipper's own antics. He saw the warm smile on Mabel's face and knew that she had missed it too, though he could also tell that his gruncle's had not missed the two rambunctious children acting like fools around them.

The atmosphere at the table was a little tense, not as much so as the night Dipper and Stan were fighting, but there was still a kind of silence that loomed over the Pines family. Dipper could tell that his sister desperately wanted to break through the silence just from the way she wiggled in place, not able to decide if she was going to eat her pre-cooked breaded chicken strips or pat waddles while repeatedly calling him a good pig. "Ok that's it! If you too don't stop being grumple's then I am going to knit a giant sweater and force all three of you boys to wear it together. Just...Talk about whatever's bothering you please. I couldn't stand it if I spent my summer with the three most important guys in my life fighting without me doing something about it." The three of them looked guiltily at Mabel, Dipper himself mumbling an apology under his breath at the same time gruncle Stan did. He at least decided, for Mabel's sake, he was going to initiate conversation with his gruncle's. Even if that meant also initiating a minor anxiety attack on his part to do so. 

"How well do you think Soos is doing with the shop?" He offered up, getting an appreciative smile from Stan, neither of them wanting to delve into the figurative elephant in the room that had caused their silence to begin with. "Soos is doing a decent job, I guess. No one's as good at conning people out of their money as I am, but...And don't tell him I said this, he's done a nice job with the place. I don't like that new emo kid he hired who's always on her phone, but that's alright." Dipper was actually kind of happy that gruncle Stan said that, he was worried that the old timer would be taking the whole, giving up the only job you've managed to keep thing harshly but the glowing remark about Soos made him feel better about Stan and Ford going off to travel the world on a boat together. "And um...Any new monstrosities gruncle Ford?" this was the one Dipper was most worried about, Ford could either be receptive to carrying out a conversation about menial stuff or he could just shut Dipper down completely. "I...There hasn't been anything particularly new lately." There was a subtle reluctance to the way Ford spoke, his gaze cast to the side and his fork fiddling with stringed green beans. He only managed to look towards Dipper when Stan elbowed him roughly, the non-sideburned twin clearing his throat loudly. 

Ford seemed to be reluctant to do whatever it was Stan was trying to convince him of, his free hand wiping at the back of his neck. "But...Perhaps tomorrow, after you finish your work in the shack you could...Come down and help me with my notes. Maybe there's something about the specimen I have that I've missed?" Dipper had to hold back the urge to squeal like he use to when he was twelve, not that thirteen was that huge of a leap from twelve but he wasn't really sure he had that kind of relationship with his gruncle anymore to where squealing like a fanboy was appropriate. Instead he cleared his throat and sat up straight, ignoring a laugh Mabel held under her breath. "Sure thing gruncle Ford. I've actually been working on a project of my own...If you know...You'd like to give your thoughts." Dipper wanted to smack himself for suddenly getting awkward, he wanted desperately to fix the issues with himself and Ford especially since he and Gruncle Stan had come back to the Fall's just so they could spend the summer with him and his sister. He was immensely relieved when, instead of saying no or simply ignoring him, gruncle Ford nodded his eyes reflecting honest curiosity.

"See boys, isn't this much nicer? Now I know I promised I would watch Dipper tomorrow but...I kind of promised this guy I'd go on a date so maybe if you keep each other busy all day with work and nerd stuff I could...You know? Not have to cancel?" The three set their gazes on Mabel and Dipper was fairly certain they'd all come to the same conclusion. Mabel asked them to get along so she could go on some silly date, probably with a guy she just met. "Well, there's nothing for it I guess. I promise I'll stay in tomorrow and you can show me those notes in the evening ok gruncle Ford?" So what if he was playing into Mabel's plans? In Dipper's mind it did little harm to let her have her way from time to time...Or ninety percent of the time. "Fine. Just be careful sweety, we don't want another repeat of that weird Norman guy." Dipper was amused gruncle Stan even remembered that one and he could have died laughing at the puzzled look Ford gave Stan, there were so many adventures that he hadn't been there for that it was sometimes hard to remember which one's he still was in the dark about. "Gnomes." Was all Dipper offered up, Ford giving him a look of absolute understanding and concern for Mabel's well being.

"Pssh. I learned from that. Plus let's not forget about Dipper and I's first K-" Dipper hadn't moved so fast to silence someone in his life, in fact he hadn't moved so fast to do anything if he really thought about it but this was a desperate time, he wasn't about to let her spout out -that- mishap to his idol even if they were related. "Hahahaha. That's great Mabs. Well why don't we clean up so our gruncle's can relax alright? Great. Love you sis." He gave Mabel a look that strongly suggested they weren't about to discuss or ever bring up that subject again, Mabel herself just snorting under her breath and ruffling her brothers hair. "Sure thing tomato face." He was glad his gruncle's didn't ask about that, though they both were certainly giving him a funny look. He knew Ford was itching to know the big secret just from the way he kept staring at Dipper while being ushered out of the room by Stan. The younger twins busied themselves with cleaning up dinner's dishes with four, sometimes six if Soos and Melody joined them, people to feed there wasn't much concern about leftovers so it was a all a matter of rinsing pans and plates. 

Dipper waited until he was certain his gruncle's were out of earshot before he berated his twin, his face already feeling warm from embarrassment "Mabel! For the last time, reverse CPR is not a kiss. I did -not- kiss Mermando alright. And why'd you have to bring that up in front of Ford and Stan? I've spent an entire school year trying to forget about stuff like that. I mean not that specifically cause I don't really dwell on that much...You know what no. I'm glad he married a manatee ok, glad. You deserve so much better than some fish dude who only served to get us both in trouble with Pool Check, and played a crummy guitar." He about lost his mind when Mabel started laughing, her eyes peaking with tears at the corner and her face turning a slight salmon color. "Oh geez bro-bro, I'm sorry. I didn't know it was such a sore subject for you." She pushed on his shoulder rather roughly and he was seriously surprised he didn't drop the plate he was drying "It's just...Statements like that...They give people the wrong impressions ok?" 

Maybe he was over-reacting a little, he didn't really think gruncle Stan or gruncle Ford would care that Dipper saved a merman's life by spitting water into his mouth but it was the concept that bothered Dipper. He didn't want people to think he liked boys, because he didn't. He absolutely didn't. Mabel gave him one of her all knowing stares, her brow quirked slightly and a small smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. He wasn't about to go delving into questions about his own self identity right now, that was an issue for later in life and plus Wendy was still a crush thing that happened he wasn't going to let Mabel forget that. "You know...Wendy isn't exactly the most feminine of girls." He began to seriously wonder about that whole twin ESP thing Wendy had joked about during weirdmaggedon because that was a freaky coincidence. "That's...Still...Mabel. Just stop ok? I can't right now." He set down the last dried dish, glaring at Mabel when she just laughed at him. A little plussed he stormed up to his room, his blood pressure rising as he heard her call, "you can't run from your feelings Dip dip!" after him. 

.... 

Dipper had buried himself in his work again, and he refused to reflect any bit on his conversation with Mabel. That sort of thing happened to other people, not to him. He was weird enough without adding -that- on top of everything else. He certainly didn't need to give school bullies any justification for calling him a fairy, though since coming to Gravity Falls and meeting a few he was actually proud of that nickname since they were quite vicious despite their cute appearance. Time ticked on around him and he effectively drown out that entire experience in more theories, filling the room with more piles of notes and pinning a good few to the corkboard under a hand sketched picture of triangle Bill. He became so enraptured in fact, that he almost didn't hear the subtle tapping on his window, or recognize that he wasn't making it up. He turned halfway in his chair after listening to the noise for a full minute, just to confirm that it was nothing but as he met with the window he found himself gazing back at familiar golden eyes and a wild grin. Terrified and slightly disoriented Dipper let out one of his girliest shrieks to date, the teen falling back in his chair and ending up on the floor. 

Sure he could have expected something like that to happen, but finding Bill freaking Cipher looking through your window at ten o'clock at night wasn't something one just calmly accepted. He could hear his family stirring downstairs, Ford's voice drifting up the stairs while asking what was wrong. "N...Nothing gruncle Ford, there's just a spider. Can I borrow that window key so I can put it outside I promise I'll lock it back afterwards." the house was quiet for a few moments, if Dipper didn't count Bill making weird faces at him from the window and trying to fog up the glass so he could write at him as noise though it certainly provided Dipper with plenty of mental noise. He was starting to give up and considered just writing a note to Bill telling him no can do on the window business when the key slid under the crack in the door. He was genuinely surprised he had been given the key at all, and he doubted that Ford would have given it up so as quietly as he could he peeled back his door. He caught sight of gruncle Stan's retreating figure, the old man surprisingly quiet despite how creaky the stairs were. 

Dipper smiled, making a mental note to thank gruncle Stan by cleaning something like the outhouse tomorrow to make up for it, before unlocking the window. He didn't realize how stifling his room was until he opened the window, he also didn't realize that Bill had been leaning against it leading to the demon falling on him and nearly crushing him. "How?" was the only word Dipper managed to get out before Bill rolled off of him and perched himself on Dipper's bed, the demon momentarily fascinated by the texture of his blanket. "How did you get past the barrier Bill?" Dipper tried again, finally getting Bill's attention. The demon looked uncomfortable for a full second before his face split off into an unnatural grin, his eyes glinting like a small child who did something bad and was consciously aware of it. "I had William kindly move aside some of that damn unicorn hair. Don't worry kid I got you some more so you can just fix it up after I leave. Or DON'T I don't care. Actually I do, this was a pain to get." Dipper sighed, shaking his head with disbelief all kinds of questions running through his mind but only a few that he felt he could word. "When...Never mind, why are you here Bill? And you're lucky that gruncle Ford already did his rounds for the night." 

Dipper stared at Bill with complete disbelief, the demon just grinning smugly at him. It reminded him of how pleased Mabel had been with herself each and every time she won Waddles at the state fair and that wasn't exactly comforting. He could already feel the edges of a panic attack coming forward when he realized that Bill now had a way to get into the shack at any point and without anyone noticing. If Bill could sense Dipper's inner turmoil he didn't make it known, the demon simply rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet while he waited for Dipper's attention to return to him. "Please, ol' sixer has a very specific schedule, he even brushes his hair at strategic times of the day! I knew when he did his rounds, and knowing my luck he'll do them again tonight so I need you to chop chop and get that back down there." Dipper shot the demon an incredulous glare, he wasn't sure how that would work but one question that he'd hoped to keep in managed to wiggle its way off of his tongue and in the worst tone possible. "Won't that hurt you?" He didn't realize how genuinely concerned he sounded until he saw the shocked expression on Bill's face, a brief silence coming over them as it seemed they both needed to process that. "I didn't know you cared so much Pine Tree. Flattered really kid, but I'll be fine or at least as fine as FEELING YOUR ENTIRE CORPOREAL BEING-" Dipper felt panic rise inside him when Bill started to shout etherally, he needed a way to quiet the demon and fast so without even really thinking about it he grabbed a clean sock that he had left on the floor near his suitcase and shoved it in Bill's mouth silencing the demon effectively. 

Dipper would have loved to have a snapshot of the glare Bill was sending him, the demons eyes filled with something like looked like pride and disbelief all in one angry package. With unnecessary gusto, Bill spit the sock back out towards Dipper the demon curling up his lip and crinkling his nose while he stared at the offending object. He glanced back up to Dipper with the same amount of disgust, grinning just slightly when he saw the kid subtly jump. "Sorry man, but if you shout like that Ford will hear you and I am -not- about to explain to him why Bill Cipher is on my bed. Not that I currently can anyways." Dipper hoped that was reasoning enough for Bill, and it seemed to be enough for Bill since the demon just laid back onto Dipper's bed. He raised his hand up and Dipper wondered if he was going to do something to get revenge for the whole sock thing, but instead of pain or even screaming heads Dipper was just met with the sight of Bill tracing the mold spots on the ceiling. Dipper wanted to tell him that he's seen those spots plenty of times from harassing Dipper in his sleep but he decided it was best just to do at Bill said earlier and fix the barrier even if it might hurt the demon a little. 

....

Dipper wiped his hands on his pants, triumphantly looking at the restored barrier. Sure it glowed and the runes appeared again but if questioned he just claim not to know anything, after all it glowed like that whenever Bill's abominations had bothered the shack. Speaking of which he wondered if it actually did hurt the demon, the idea of Bill clutching himself in pain should have been a lot more comforting than it was and Dipper mentally scolded himself for not being more pleased with the triangle's suffering. "Alright, better head up before gruncle Ford comes to investigate" he told himself firmly, climbing up the side of the shack the way he'd come down. He could make out the shadow of one of his gruncle's wandering around outside, the lights from within the shack making them look impossibly large. He was careful to be quiet and stay in the shadows while he made his way around to his bedroom window. He was terrified of Ford finding out Stan had given him a key, more for Stan's sake then his own. If gruncle Stan caught him out here he could simply explain that he saw the runes too and wanted to make sure everyone was safe, Ford would be a lot harder to convince. He felt relieved as he made it back to the window ledge without getting discovered, the voices of his gruncle's echoing below him as the searched for the source of the disturbance. Dipper was about to climb into the safety and comfort of his room when he noticed Bill was no longer on his bed, instead the demon was busying himself with the theories Dipper had hung on the cork board. 

Part of him considered just sitting at Wendy's chill spot and rocking himself into insanity for the night, his mind panicking when he considered the fact that most of those were about Bill and some of them were completely ridiculous. He started to turn away, to escape from this nightmare before it could start but a hand reached out of his window and pulled on his arm, startling him. He met with golden eyes and he realized his fate was sealed, the demon looking a little bit like he was constipated which Dipper assumed was due to pain. "Pine Tree, get over here before you fall." Resigned, Dipper let Bill pull him back into the window, the teen flopping down on his floor a bit harder than he would have wanted to. He listened for noise just in case his gruncle's heard but it seemed like they were both too preoccupied with the barrier to pay attention to Dipper's antics. He got up slowly, swatting away Bill's hand when the demon had held it up to help him. For a moment he considered what he would even do if one of his gruncle's came upstairs. William was actually pretty tall, and there weren't a lot of places he could hide them without someone noticing. The only thing he could really decide on was the closet, and that would be a bit of squeeze not that Dipper really minded the idea of making Bill uncomfortable considering it was his fault they would be in that situation. "Aaw Pine Tree that hurt, honestly." Bill teased him and he reminded himself that Bill could, in fact, read his mind. 

"So...Um...Did you need something?" He just wanted to deal with whatever Bill wanted and then get the demon out of his room, especially since there were so many things pertaining to Bill in here. He figured he must look obsessed, pictures and theories strewn all over the place, Bill Theories written on sticky notes. It wasn't like he cared about Bill as an individual (could beings of pure energy even be counted as individuals?) he just wanted to solve the mystery behind Bill's motives. "Sure thing kid." Dipper really didn't think this could get worse, of course it probably could there were at least a thousand ways this could get more awkward but on the scale of awkward situations this one was pretty up there. "As for me needing something, not really. Just...Wanted to see if it even was possible for me to infiltrate your impenetrable barrier. Answer is Y...Yes." That wasn't a comforting thought, even if Bill was being kind enough to watch his volume, there wasn't a single thing Dipper found ok about Bill wanting and succeeding at penetrating their barrier. Of course he also made a mental note that he could only do this because of William, if Will was gone or if Bill was out of Will then Bill would be back to being unable to enter the shack. "Ha, true. But let's face it Pinetree, I'm not going anywhere any time soon." Dipper sighed, realizing that as well, and without Bill even mentioning it. He didn't even want to consider the reasoning Bill would have for getting into the shack, the teen afraid of what the answers could be. 

"Maybe I want you to." Bill had his arm laced around Dipper's shoulder and Dipper was absolutely positive there was nothing ok with that. In a knee jerk reaction he flipped the slightly taller boy over himself, leaving the demon to flop face up on the bed just behind Dipper. They shared a mutual look of horror before Dipper noticed the slight grin that twinged at the demon's mouth, something about the way he grinned making the teen uncomfortable. He was starting to consider that the universe created Bill so he could torment Dipper (or maybe Dipper was created so Bill could have something to torment?). "Whatever helps you sleep at night Pine Tree, speaking of helping people sleeping at night. What's with all this? I mean I'm flattered that you seem to care so much about my motives but this might be a bit excessive kid." Dipper felt like he was going to throw up, but he also kind of wished he could disappear into nothingness and hide from this situation. His mind scrambled for something else to talk about, the teen nowhere near ready to explain the notes to the demon. Taking a mental leap of faith he decided he'd just blurt out the first thing that came to mind, figuring it couldn't be any worse than his current conversation. "Are you in pain right now?" Dipper was immensely proud of the fact that something unthinkable hadn't come out, in fact it was pretty sensible to ask since Bill had mentioned it earlier that evening. He just hopped that Bill was a horrible multi-tasker and could be gotten of topic with relative ease. "Kid, I am a multi-dimensional being. Multitasking is what I do best. To answer your question nosey, yes I am in pain. No you cannot do anything about it, and as for some of these. Well have a seat and your ol' pal Bill will learn you a thing or two." 

Dipper had to pause so he could re-learn how to breathe, did Bill just say learn him a thing or two? That just seemed so ridiculous coming from the demon who loved sporting a top hat and bow tie. "Well...Kid, if I didn't have those I'd look naked now wouldn't I? Plus I can be both dashingly dapper and down with the times or whatever." No, this was not happening, Dipper decided. He had to have passed out at his desk and he was having the weirdest of all weird dreams. Mabel -had- to have slipped some mabel juice into his drink for his dreams to be so bizarre, and life like. "Pssh, you wish Kid, I couldn't get into your dreams if I wanted to. No literally the only reason I can tolerate this is because this flesh bag keeps me from having too much mind access so your barrier isn't literally shoving me out its metaphorical door. Don't think too hard on that one or your brain will implode. Might be fun actually so do that." 

Dipper sighed, sitting down on his bed in a kind of inner defeat. He had to rule out sleep or insanity and simply accept the reality before him. Bill Cipher was in his room, talking to him like they weren't old enemies. He wanted to shove the demon out the window but at the same time he also kind of wanted the answers Bill seemed to be willing to provide. Theory work could only get him so far, but he swore to himself that he was never going to let the demon just waltz in like this again."You're right. Too bad for you both of us know better." He sighed, moving over so Bill could sit down on his small twin bed. Their thighs nearly touched from the close space and Dipper felt uncomfortable with the demon so close to him. Sure Bill has carried him, and even been used as a lean against but those were desperate times. Now he was sitting here, willingly sitting beside a sociopathic triangle stuck in the body of a pubescent boy with a stuttering issue. He could see a large pile of post it notes in Bill's arms, all of them Bill Theories making the teen wonder if the demon just liked being the center of attention. "Let's start with this one, since it looks fun. Theory 15: Bill Cipher is a mentally unstable maniac who doesn't even have a clue himself why he does some of the things he does. Funny how that's so high up on your maybe list kid, I'd set that as number one." 

Dipper had no doubts in his mind that Bill was enjoying being the center of attention, in fact it dawned on him that half of what Bill did, the extravagant clothes, the mannerisms, even weirdmageddon just looked like one giant cry for someone to notice him. He remembered that Bill had a back seat to his thoughts a bit too late to catch that train of thought, the demon drawing completely silent. Dipper could feel his own palms sweat, the demon's almost physical in its intensity making him afraid to meet it. Moments ticked by with Dipper adamantly refusing to glance back at Bill before the demon seemed to get bored of staring him down, his arm brushing Dipper's side as he reached for another sticky note. "Now then, if you're done being a smartass. As fun and partially accurate as this one is I don't feel it's quite right so next." Bill tossed the old sticky note behind him, Dipper watching as it fluttered to the floor like a dead leaf in the fall. He finally met glances with Bill, the demon quirking a brow and mumbling something along the lines of "I appreciate the imagery, but stay focused kid." The teen laughed under his breath, deciding to tiled forward a little so he could see what the demon had in his hands. "Oooh Theory 21: Bill Cipher-" Alarms went off in Dipper's head when he recognized the number, his pulse hastening and his body sweating from just nervousness. He leapt forward in what was the second time in one day that he'd found the need to move at the speed of sound to stop something potentially embarrassing. He was an investigator, he HAD to try every angle before he could find the answer and this was just one of those stepping stones. It'd be just his luck that of all the theories not in that subject Bill -had- to pick this one. 

"Now I really want to know what it said. Let me see that kid." Dipper leapt to the other edge of the bed as Bill lunged to grab the note, the two teenagers (well one was only teen shaped) wrestling over the sticky in Dipper's hand. He tried to stand up but Bill grabbed onto his torso and forced him down, the demon exploiting a weakness of Dipper's that the brunet had honestly forgotten that the demon knew. Bill's fingers were very boney against Dipper's ribs and his lungs hurt from laughing, he had a moment of mental clarity where he figured this to be cosmic karma for the time Mabel defeated Bill with this same method during the Sock Opera. Bill was able to snatch the note from Dipper's hands, leaving the boy to wheeze and sputter while he tried to catch his breath. Dipper entertained the thought that Bill felt vindicated for that. "Just a little, kid."

Dipper finally sat up, his lungs still heaving from how hard he was laughing but his mind was more focused on the twisted grin Bill was giving him. He wondered what he might have thought that deserved that reaction, when he realized that Bill had the note. He felt the blood rush to his face, and he stammered, struggling to explain the theory away. "Look I...That's not even something I..." Dipper firmly believe earlier that having Bill in his room couldn't really get worse, but this situation was exactly how it could. The demon had a look of pure triumph and self importance, his teeth glimmering from Dipper's lamp as he grinned down at lights owner. "It was important enough to end up on your cork board~ and if that pile over there is any indicator, not -every- theory mattered." Bill's tone was a little too please, the demon scooting just a little bit closer to Dipper while staring down at him with pure glee. Dipper could hear 'How could this happen to me' by Simple Plan playing in his head and he indeed wondered how this happened to him. He had to have angered the fates somehow for this to be his fate. He felt Bill's hand ruffle through his hair and he was quick to grab the demon's wrist, glaring at him with bitter fervor and roughly returning the demon's hands to his own side. "Don't touch me Cipher." Dipper knew he wasn't intimidating to much of any one, but that didn't give Bill the right to look at him in a way reminiscent to Mabel staring at Waddles. 

"I'm keeping this. Now then, Theory 14: Bill Cipher has something much worse planned for me than impalation. Hmmm...That does sound like fun kid but I think it needs more context so I understand exactly what that means." Honestly if there was a joke there it went right over Dipper's head, the young teen just staring at Bill with complete confusion. He could have sworn Bill whispered something about cinnamon rolls but he wasn't really sure. It seemed to Dipper that the insanity theory was currently the most telling, the demon having a long track record with random acts that seemed nonsensical. "Nevermind that kid, we'll come back to that when you're older. Theory 8: Bill Cipher actually...Know what. We can just skip that." Dipper saw an opportunity for revenge and he was going to take it, he leapt up as Bill was about to toss the note making sure to grab it right out of Bill's hands. He stood up on his bed figuring Bill was far too lazy to follow him up while trying to quickly read the note out. Unfortunately he only got the word "Theory" out before he was dragged back down by his leg and promptly wrestled for the note. 

By the end of the skirmish both of them had fallen on the floor, but Dipper somehow managed to keep the note in his hands. It probably helped that he was sitting on Bill's hands, the demon hissing at him in a way that sounded funny coming from a human's throat. "Theory number eight, Bill Cipher actually cares about my continued existence and is too embarrassed to admit it." Bill groaned behind him, kicking onto Dippers back and sliding his hands free. Dipper laughed as the demon leapt around him, trying to grab onto the note. It seemed completely silly that Bill was getting worked up over a joke."That's not what it said!" Bill accused, the demon's face tinted red and Dipper wasn't sure if it was from actual embarrassment or from the effort of fighting Dipper for the note. It hadn't even really dawned on him that Bill had yelled at him, or that they might be making a lot of noise. "Ok so I added the too embarrassed part myself just now but that won't change what is actually says. What's the big deal Bill? Hmm? They're just theories." Dipper was enjoying the look on Bill's face a bit more than he'd like to admit, the demon trying again to grab for the note just to end up falling on top of Dipper. 

"Dipper, what's with all of the...Bill?" Dipper could feel not only himself physically flinch, but Bill as well, both of them craning their necks to find Mabel standing in the doorway. She had a confused and rather odd expression on her face, her eyes darting between Dipper and Bill. It dawned on Dipper that it probably looked very strange to Mabel to find her brother pinned underneath Bill, his arm holding out a note. He was about to speak up to explain, but Bill snatched the note out of his hand, the demon sitting up with a smug look on his face. He immediately lost his triumph and air of success when Mabel marched over to them and snatched the note from Bill's hand, the post it leaving behind a paper cut. Bill hissed as the cut started to bleed a little bit, the demon quick to shove the offended finger into his mouth while glaring up at Mabel. "You two seriously risked getting caught by Ford over this? How old are you Bill? Like a bagillion years? That's super childish." Bill snickered past his finger, pulling it out of his mouth just to point at Dipper, his expression one of a guilty child. "Pine Tree started it." Dipper felt about as incredulous about that as Mabel seemed to, the male twin sitting up just so he could hit the back of Bill's head though he was careful not to hit too hard incase it would hurt William too. 

"I don't care who started it, you two better knock it off before one of the Stan's gets curious. You're lucky gruncle Stan is asleep in front of one of his old timey movies and that gruncle Ford is in the basement." They share a glance and Dipper found himself staring at his feet with guilt, Mabel was right, it was extremely dangerous and he was risking a lot just to goof around with his gruncle's sworn nemesis. He wondered for a moment if Bill had ever been scolded before, like if demons were even capable of having mothers. "Hey kid, even multi-dimensional beings made of pure chaos and energy have mommies ok? Sheesh what a rude stereotype." Dipper and Mabel both had to snort at that one, the idea that Bill ever had anyone in his life to tell him no was so inconceivable it wasn't even funny. "Hey shooting star, want to join us? We're going through Dippers theories and dispelling them while making fun of his crippling lack of sense." If Bill wasn't in Williams body, and Mabel wasn't his sister he may have considered fighting both of them. His sister a little too gleeful about joining in with the "fun" the two of them were having. 

Dipper and Bill returned to the Bed, Mabel sitting down on the other side of Bill though she looked like she was ready to intervene if necessary. "Ok well I won't bring this one up again, since you two got so worked up over it. What's the next one Bill?" Dipper would have smiled at his sister's enthusiasm if he hadn't realized that they were essentially having a mini slumber party with Bill, the concept making him feel something between sick and just plain strange. "Thanks a million kid, now then. Theory 20: Bill Cipher is being emotionally overpowered by William because he has never felt anything before and oh god what are feelings. Ok so I embellished a little but hey I like storytelling. As for that one well." Dipper was both horrified and amazed to see William kick Bill out of control right when the demon was about to stuff a piece of paper in their mouth, the teenager looking genuinely offended by the gesture. "Listen h...here you maniac. I'm...I'm not a paper shredder...And...Oh sorry guys I didn't um...Mean to say that out loud I was just. Really upset. H...Hi Dipper."

Dipper couldn't help but feel impressed, knowing all too well how hard it was to overcome Bill's influence. It had felt like forever since he got a chance to talk to William, and he had so many questions for him but he didn't want to overwhelm someone he considered to be a friend. Letting his mind relax, Dipper patted William on the shoulder, smiling in a way that he hoped conveyed that it was fine to yell at Bill out loud "Hey...Um. Thanks for saving me too William. I don't really know all of what happened but..." He felt William tense a little from the contact when he patted his shoulder, the older teen's face dusting pink and his eyes averting from Dipper's gaze. "Oh...Um I was glad to help honestly. You were so nice to me those two times we spoke and I just wanted to help. I know Willow can be a bit much...She's not a bad person, but perhaps I'm just biased. It's just after our mom died and...She kind of lost me too. I don't think she handled that well." Dipper felt bad for forgetting that William and Willow were a lot like himself and Mabel, but with different circumstances and personalities. He wanted to reach out to William but he noticed that not only had Mabel beat him to it, but she had that look that screamed 'this poor broken, cute boy. I'm going to fix him.' 

"Oh...William I am so sorry that all of these terrible things have happened to you. If there's anything Dipper or I can do to help you just let me know." William crossed a glance with Dipper that screamed 'oh god please no' before his eyes slowly reverted back to Bill's yellow and black. Mabel had already clung onto William so it was no surprise to Dipper that she hadn't noticed the switch, especially when Bill mimicked Williams tone of voice just so he could mess with her. "Thanks Mab, it's so sweet of you." Dipper had to bite his lip to keep from laughing, he thought Bill had done a pretty good job with imitating William's tone though he questioned if it was actually something William would say. "I know. I try. You...Big triangular jerk." That time Dipper did laugh, his sister punching the demon in the stomach playfully and pulling a fake pout across her face.

"Heheh, you caught me shooting star. To be fair it was Willy boy's idea. He really didn't like you blatantly drooling after him like he was a sirloin steak and you were the poor fat guy at the buffet who normally could only afford ho ho's and ding dongs." If he wasn't so busy laughing at her Dipper might have defended his sister's honor but he figured she could learn a lesson or two about how to talk to guys, it's not like Dipper could teach her since he didn't know how to talk to any gender. Apparently he could only have normal, or at least functioning, maybe not functioning but consistent conversations with multi-dimensional, tri-lateral chaos entities. "Wait...You mean it's that bad? But...Wendy told me I was doing fine." Dipper swore to himself that he was going to beat Bill up Will or no Will if he was a jerk to Mabel about this. He was sure that William would forgive Dipper if he did, after all he had a sister too. "Well...I suppose for your stage of pathetic human development it's fine. You'll get better as you age. For example." Dipper didn't like how Bill was looking at him one bit. Bill had gotten so close to Dipper that their knees touched, and Dipper could feel his pulse racing though he couldn't quite think well enough to identify the origin of it. Blood rushed to his face when Bill leaned down, pressing his face cheek to cheek with Dipper's and his breath falling onto the young teen's ear. "As fun as it is, parading around in William's body. It wasn't nearly as fun as being inside yours pinetree." The way Bill practically purred Dipper's name left the teen in a state between disbelief and utter shock, his mind scrambling for some kind of sensible thought but the only thing he could really focus on was the way Bill was looking down at him. He found himself scooting further against the wall in a desperate attempt to break any physical contact with the demon, especially since his skin started to tingle anywhere that their met, his breath hitching just slightly when Bill reached forward and ruffled his hair.

Mabel let out a sound that was halfway between a choked laugh and a sob, her own face beat red as she looked between the two boys. She wasn't even quite sure she had heard Bill right but she certainly wasn't expecting him to try and flirt with her brother just to prove a point. She watched as her brother stood abruptly, his forehead sweating and his palms clenched while he marched to the window and stuck his head out it. She would have laughed if she wasn't to busy staring at Bill like he was insane, the demon just shrugging at her and grinning like a little kid. "Bill...Why?" She wanted to say so many other things, but the words weren't coming to her and it seemed like Bill didn't really have anything to say either. He just shook his head and looked towards Dipper, watching the teen pick up one of the post it's he'd left in the pile on the floor. She wasn't sure if she liked the way he was looking at her twin, in fact it gave her a bit of an uneasy feeling and she was suddenly very glad that Bill was not capable of reading her mind like he was Dipper's. 

"Theory number twenty five, Bill Cipher is working against Willow because he wants to rock a skirt half as well as she does." Dipper desperately needed something else to think about, and watching Bill and Mabel both sputter in response to that one was good enough for par. He could see the gears churning in Bill's head, the demon grinning widely which was not helping his earlier feelings at all. "Oh Pine Tree, Pine Tree, Pine Tree. I could rock anything. I'm Bill 'freaking' Cipher after all." Right, Bill could read his thoughts. Dipper had to make a mental note to watch what kind of thoughts he had around the demon as well as what he dared to actually word. Mabel for her part was too busy dying of laughter and Dipper knew in his heart that he was never going to get the end of this. She would torment him about having this moment with her and Bill for the rest of their existence. In fact they would both be old and wrinkly and Mabel would probably just call him up on day and say "Hey Dip dip, remember that time you totally bonded with Bill Cipher and he hit on you." 

Dipper made the mistake of meeting Bill's gaze, something almost feral in it as well as taunting that made him physically lurch. The demon just laughed at his misery, speaking in a language he didn't recognize while wheezing for breath. "Um...guys, did I miss out on something?" He met Mabel's gaze next, and he hope to god that Bill wasn't about the share that with her. He felt dizzy, his head swimming with all of the implications his sister might come up with and it was terrifying in it's own right. Rather than sit on the floor, Dipper braved moving back towards the bed. He sat down next to Bill and he could have swore Bill brushed his arm on purpose that time. "Oh...Oh geez kid. You see, I'm privy to every insignificant thought that runs through your brother's head and he just had one heck of a doozy. In fact, if you heard it you'd probably burn him at the stake just for going there. I know I would if my brother thought THAT way." Dipper glared at Bill, his mind struggling to understand what Bill was trying to imply but whatever it was it had Mabel turning beet red, her gaze slightly murderous as she stared at the back of the demon's head. "Don't let him twist things Mabs. I simply suggested that Bill could be...flippant with his words." 

Bill gave Dipper a look that made him feel judged for every sin he'd committed in his life, which not surprisingly, was very low up until Bill came into his life. "Suggested? And I quote 'I can just picture Mabs calling me up one day when we're old and wrinkly and saying to me "Hey Dip dip, remember that time you totally bonded with Bill Cipher and he hit on you?" And that's all Dipper kid, I didn't embellish there." Dipper really badly wanted to punch Bill for sharing that with Mabel, the demon looking down at him with the smuggest of expressions that only pissed Dipper off. He crossed glances with Mabel so he wouldn't have to look at Bill's dumb face, to find that she was neither surprised nor judging him making him wonder if she'd thought the same thing. "Bill Theory number four, Bill Cipher saved me because without Mabel and I both alive, no one could challenge his ability to take over the world and that would be boring." 

Dipper couldn't believe Mabel actually went right back to reading theories rather than take that opportunity to taunt him, though he figured that perhaps he'd mortified himself enough for three people by this point. He noticed that Bill lost all of his smugness, the demon simply standing up and walking past both the twins in favor for standing in front of the window. The moon was already loaming in the sky above and Dipper wondered just how much time they'd wasted while goofing around. Now that he thought about it, it was a lot colder too meaning that it was probably somewhere close to, if not after midnight. "Well...I'm all tuckered out kids. Time for this triangle to take his fleshy meat suit elsewhere. Catch you on the flip side Pinetree." 

The next thing Dipper knew, his window had been flung open completely and Bill was sliding off of the roof. Concern drove Dipper to rush to the edge of the Window, he could practically feel his blood pressure rise when he saw Bill float down to the edge of the barrier before it seemed to shock him. It was faint, but Dipper caught the pained sound the demon let out, his mind trapped between a serves him right attitude and Dude, I'm so sorry. He sighed heavily once Bill was gone from his sight, closing and locking the window just to make sure he wouldn't get any unexpected visitors in the middle of the night. Part of him was glad that the entire interaction was over, but another part of him wanted to ask him about that last theory. He could have sworn that the demon looked upset when he passed him but he couldn't be sure. He just wanted some peace now, and he felt tired his gaze wandering towards his sister hoping she felt the same way. "Sooo. Hitting on you huh?" He wasn't going to get peace.


	12. Frphevgl vf zl arj fva

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper deals with the aftermaths of Bill's visit last night, but when William comes to speak with him during work hours it brings up some issues and reveals something about Dipper that had been suppressed for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is as late as it is. I've had issues anywhere from my computer crashing to just plain not having internet for two weeks. I had this chapter almost done and then lost it and had to restart. Anyways, all struggles aside. It's finally here~ Also just realized I accidentally put the publication date of this for May not June when it actually came out lol. My bad.

"Dipper, what was with all of that noise last night?" Dipper had been in the middle of restocking the supply of mystery boxes (a more expensive item in the shop that came with a mystery T-shirt, stickers, and a few other random things), the shop empty save for himself, gruncle Stan, and Melody. He wiped his brow and turned towards his great uncle, the old man looking down at him with his hands on his hips. "Noise?" Dipper had been so tired by the end of the night he'd almost forgotten that he and Bill had made an awful amount of ruckus while fighting over the post it notes. Memories of the night rushed back to him and Dipper realized he'd been quiet for too long, his great uncle staring at him with a suspicious glare. "I...Sorry gruncle Stan. I promise it won't happen again. I just...I don't know. I was upset." he figured passing it off as him tearing the room apart out of anger would be a good excuse but Stan didn't seem to think so. The elderly man knelt down to be eye level with Dipper, his expression harboring concern while he placed a hand on the teens shoulder. "Dipper. If something's wrong you can tell me kid. I'd rather you just say something instead of letting things explode in your face like they do to my brother." Dipper met his great uncle's gaze and he couldn't help but feel guilty. He and gruncle Stan had been through so much and there was a lot of instances that first summer where they got into trouble because they hid things from each other. He hated to do it, he really did but there was just no way he could tell gruncle Stan the truth about what happened.

Dipper sighed when he couldn't even come up with a sufficient lie, his gaze faltering from his great uncle's in favor of staring at the mystery boxes stacked up to his left. "Honestly, you would just be angry if I told you." That was perhaps a little more than he should have admitted, and he knew that alone would make gruncle Stan unhappy, but without any good excuses to give him it was as close to the truth as he could give. He could feel his great uncle's gaze set on him for a few more moments, the silence in the room so stifling that Melody had shuffled out to go "get more washcloths." but Dipper couldn't dare to break it. If he told gruncle Stan that he let Bill into the house than he'd never hear the end of it, and maybe his gruncle's would even go so far as to try to send him back to Piedmont to protect him. "Just...If you, y'know. Get in too deep, let me know." that was surprisingly mature for gruncle Stan, and Dipper couldn't help but to look over at him in surprise. Stan looked so much older than Dipper last remembered, his expression warn and his face a little gaunt. Dipper wondered when it was his great uncle had stopped sleeping, even wondering if it was his own fault. "Hey...Stan? I promise you, I'll stay safe. Just...Take care of yourself too ok?" he could see a twinge of a smile on his great uncle's face, the elder twin ruffling his hair and hat "I just would hate for something to happen to you kids. Never had any kids myself, so you two are as close to that as I'm going to get. Plus I'm pretty sure Shermy would bust my face in if your mom and dad didn't beat him to it." 

Dipper laughed at his great uncle's joke, watching the old man get up and trudge back into the kitchen. Melody walked back in after him, her hands full of washcloths and cleaning spray. "Hey Dipper. Do you mind cleaning up some of these windows for me? I'll finish stocking. I know you're grounded to the shack and all but the outsides need washed too and you look like you could use the air." Dipper felt like Melody was literally a saint, the outdoors sounding so nice even if the price for being there meant he would have to do chores. He happily accepted her offer, making sure to scrub the windows with enthusiasm for her sake. Working with Melody had actually been great, and he loved making her laugh just to help the time pass. It wasn't like he was particularly funny but then again neither was her boyfriend Soos, she just had a great sense of humor. He was glad once the inside windows and doors were cleaned, finally able to feel the warmth of the mid-summer Oregon air. There were a few tourists outside, just wondering around the grounds and taking pictures of the outside of the shack. He could see gruncle Ford leading a group into the woods, the scientist probably wooing them over the way he did the special agents after they had wiped all of their minds. It made Dipper kind of miss being allowed to lead tours, it was a lot of fun to tell tourists a bunch of lies in the hopes that they would buy over-priced goods and wow he really was spending too much time around Stan.

.....

Dipper was about done with the outsides of the windows of the shack, he was certain that Melody only wanted the one's to the museum cleaned, but he figured that no one would complain about him cleaning the house windows too. He was enjoying the sounds of cicadas buzzing in the grass, a few dragonflies dancing around each other in the afternoon air. "Dipper...Can we talk?" he paused halfway between cleaning solution from the glass, turning just slightly when he heard the familiar voice. He met William's eye for a moment before he gazed around, worried that his gruncle's might be upset if they caught them talking. "Uh, sure. I'm just cleaning right now anyways. What's up?" He figured so long as he was working it would be fine, especially since Stan at least didn't know who William was (as far as he knew) and Ford wouldn't be back for a while. He could hear William exhale nervously behind him, the blond coming up to his side and sitting down in the grass, watching as Dipper scrubbed at a stubborn stain on the glass. "Um...I wanted to apologize for...Last night. Also I feel like. I have some things to explain." Dipper stopped for a moment, smiling reassuringly at William. He was actually looking forward to getting some answers. Sure Bill gave him some information but it felt like there was a lot he still didn't understand. "Alright, well as for last night it's not your fault and...Don't tell Bill this, but it was kind of fun. Also you aren't obligated to explain anything to me but...I appreciate it." He could hear the gentle rustling of the grass as William ran his hands through the blades, the older teen seeming to be fidgeting in place though Dipper didn't look away from the window long enough to tell.

"Well for starters...Bill and I kind of have a...schedule. It takes a lot of energy for...For him to force me back all of the time so I get to roam around during the day. At night, usually he gets to...You know, be out and about...These past few days have just been...An exception." Dipper brushed grass from his knees and stood so he could reach the upper pane of the window. He sighed as he sprayed cleaner onto the glass, watching it slowly run down to the drip mould. "I see...I guess that explains a few things. I'm sorry that I caused so many issues for you." He could hear the sound of grass parting, the brunet just barely turning his head to see that William had laid down. He seemed to be staring up at the sky, his breaths even and calm. "Yeah...It's ok though. I...It's kinda my fault. Willow begged me not to listen to Bill when he demanded that I walk us to Gravity Falls. We researched your family after he told us what he wanted in return for giving us enough power to cure our mother. Of course that never happened. Even magic it seems, cannot cure cancer. Willow blames Bill for our mother's death...But he did try to uphold his part of the deal. That's why I haven't voided it. We still got that extra power, I didn't think it was fair to kick him out because she and I weren't good enough." Dipper watched the tree line from the window as he listened to William speak, in the distance he could make out the voices of the tour group as people hollered and laughed. It was a beautiful day outside, but Dipper felt cold, his hands even starting to shake slightly.

He wondered if perhaps William had planned to help Bill get his revenge on them, a memory of the day he took Will on a tour alone surfacing. He put his own life in danger because he ignored his instincts, because his anxiety was so bad that it was convinced that everything was just anxiety. He couldn't manage a response, his mouth feeling dry as if he'd been chewing on cotton and his head starting to ache from the noise in his mind. He decided he'd just listen and scrub the window, if he didn't speak then he could delay his worries just a little bit longer. "Bill says you're freaking out right now...And you...you're right. I um...I was going to help Bill at first. But when I met you I just...I couldn't do it. You were so friendly...And you talked to me even though I was just some strange kid and you already were afraid of me. No one's ever been like that before. So I told Bill I couldn't do it. Thing was...Is...He. Never mind I'm not allowed to say that. Anyways...It was actually Bill who saved you from the woods, that day you fell asleep. We found you underneath a tree, and there was a griffon who was awfully interested in you. I thought for certain he was going to leave you to die, but he carried you until he found Ford." Dipper felt the bottle of cleaner and the cloth slip from his hands, the objects making a soft thud against the grass when they landed. Internally he was having a battle between anxious and angry especially when he considered the way he had just invited Bill into the shack just the previous night possibly putting his entire family in danger. 

"Dipper please...It's not like that any more. I...We don't want to hurt you." William's words felt empty to Dipper, promises he couldn't trust and the anger that he battled with boiled over into the surface until it felt like a gross thick knot in his throat. He turned abruptly and stared William down, one of the teen's eyes tinting yellow as William himself seemed to cower back slightly. "I can't believe you. No...I can't believe me. I always do this Bill, I become stupid and think maybe just maybe you aren't exactly what you are. A selfish, self-serving, homicidal waste of universal and extra-universal energy. I'm not even mad at you, I'm just mad at me. I stuck my neck out for you Bill, I fought a witch Bill, a fully powered witch. I thought maybe...No I didn't think. That was my problem. Get out of here before Ford comes back, I won't save you from him this time...But I can't...Just go." Golden eyes met with Dipper's, the expression a bit different than what he was expecting. Sure it had that 'oops you caught me' look, but there was some kind of hurt as well which confused the brunet teen. "Pine Tree, I really don't-" Dipper didn't want to hear it, he didn't care about whatever excuses or honeyed statements Bill had up his sleeves. He didn't want to be manipulated anymore, he didn't want to feel used or like a puppet. 

Suppressed memories from the Sock Opera flooded back to Dipper's mind, the sounds of the tour group wrapping up echoing in the nearby distance. An indescribably intense emotion passed through Dipper, leaving him with a hot feeling in his cheeks and the taste of bile in his mouth, as he watched Bill stand with his palms towards him in a submissive position. The demon still hadn't left, and he was speaking words Dipper refused to process in an attempt to calm the angered teen, adding to that weird feeling moving through the brunet. In a boiling point of frustration and intensity, Dipper threw his arm outwards his voice coming out of him so loudly for Bill to buzz off that birds scattered from the tree's in a massive swirl of black, indescribable figures. A shocked tingling enveloped Dipper's arm, traveling from his shoulder to his finger tips in a speed that left him dizzy. He felt heat, a kind of heat that was unlike even the non-burning fires of Bill's deal fire and the world before him flashed an immense lightning blue. The force pushed him back against the window, glass cracking in protest behind his head and he could just faintly hear the sound of the shack creaking in protest. The light faded, leaving Dipper with a spotty field of vision in which orbs of light danced about adding to his early dizzy sensation. He could have sworn that the ground before him had been scorched but the blackening ground could have also have been his fading vision.

......

The room around him was cold, the air bitter and chilly in a way which left him shivering. His head pounded uncomfortably, making the weight of what seemed to be a cushion behind him feel suddenly dense. His ears rung like a cacophony of phones in a call center and his arm was tingling with sharp layers of numbness and pain interlaced into an entirely new and unfamiliar feeling. He felt nausea bubbling in his throat, his eyes watering though they were closed and his stomach lurching so hard that it forced him to tilt blindly to the side to release the contents. The subtle thud of bile and partially digested bread hitting a plastic bowl thoomed against his ears like rancorous thunder and his head reeled back from the pain. Someone spoke words to him that he couldn't hear, the sound bouncing through his ear canal before being lost in the chorus of imaginary sounds. There was a shag blanket on his lap that tickled the hairs of his leg, and a constant buzzing energy moved around him like rush-hour traffic on a hot California's afternoon during spring break. 

"Dipper." Fords voice pushed through the seemingly impenetrable space of sound and Dipper perked up at the familiarity. Aching eyes tried to meet the world in front of his, the sudden introduction of light leaving a similar null ache that he felt when his mom and dad would turn his blinds open in the mornings. He relaxed, meeting the faces of his three blood-kin. He expected the warmth, anger, and worry that he associated with him doing something foolish and passing out, though at the moment he couldn't recall from what, however what was before him was trepidation and anxiety.

Something uncomfortably familiar boiled in his gut, a different feeling from the upheaval from a moment before. Milk-chocolate orbs desperately searched the faces of his beloved family only to see that they refused to meet his gaze, their own caste towards the stained old carpeting. If he looked hard enough Dipper could see the pieces of fabric moving from the stale, old smelling draft that was enclosing the shack. His family looked to be so much smaller behind the backdrop of rotting, tilted wooden beams, the air tingling with irritated and excited energy that filled him to his core with the same sensation. His throat desperately yearned for water, his tongue feeling heavy against his teeth where he was aware it didn't sit quite comfortably but he needed to break the stifling silence.

"Happened?" The whole sentence never made it past his lips which felt chapped and stuck together, but he saw the spark of recognition in Ford's weathered eyes. "I was hoping you could tell us boy." The fear in Ford's voice sunk stones into the teens heart, the feeling so much worse than the night he had been found in the woods, no scratch that, the night Bill brought him back to his family. Blips of memories pushed into the forethought of Dipper's mind and the pieces started to fall into place but he was still confused. He didn't remember walking back into the shack, he didn't remember falling asleep. He remembered an intense emotion that was so heavy that it still racked his body but even that didn't feel as bad as he currently felt. "Why don't you see for yourself Dip-Dip." Mabel still would not look at him, but her arm was outstretched in front of her and her finger seemed to point to the window to Dipper's right. The sky was the same shade as a honeydew melon, the sun dipped against the silhouetted horizon of trees which swayed lackadaisically with the gentle summer eve's breeze. He couldn't see much more than that, and an overwhelming sensation of foreboding caused him to hesitate. 

He was always as thirsty for answers as his throat currently was for water, and it was just part of his nature. Still, he was afraid to know what he did not yet know, that he didn't know (to quote a certain fascinating radio show). That nervous energy filtered against every inch of his skin, the irritation of the completely silent room pushing him to reluctant action, his body lifting up from the couch and his sock laden feet taking him past the huddle of his family and through the kitchen and gift shop before he was even really aware that he had made it that far. The gaps in his memory still drove him nearly mad, though he knew he had spoken to Bill and William without a doubt. He wanted to shove the blame for whatever unknown thing was bothering his family on them, but he knew somewhere this was all on him. 

He stepped out into the cool summer air and tension seemed to seep from his shoulder, a soothing lavender scent he'd never before noticed carried on the breeze and the energy around him seeming to caress rather than agitate his body. Everything looked normal enough at the front of the shack, but he was drawn back to the place where he had spoken to Bill. The grass still swayed gently at his feet, the birds still fluttered overhead in search of their last meal before the sun would abandon them in darkness, and the sky still peaked with speckles of blue among the changing afternoon hues. He finally drew himself to stare at the place beneath the window, the pain cracked and tinted red, bringing forward a previously ignored throbbing from the back of his skull. 

He spent a moment just staring at the ground in front of him, the grass burnt down past the first layer of soil with a circle and runes that felt both strange and familiar to Dipper. The area pulsed with an energy that seemed almost and extension of his own arm, like a static piece of himself that had been released down to the atomic level and in fact he realized he did exactly that. In some weird way that science and Magic blurred the lines of the known, he had manipulated the atomic activity within and without himself and managed to create and explosive chemical reaction that...Honestly he didn't know what it did and that not knowing gnawed at him until he heard the gentle crunch on footsteps behind him. "What does it mean...Like...What is this suppose to do?" He knew Ford at least had to have had a clue, especially since the journals had a few spells in them that did a variety of things. 

He already guessed why Mabel seemed so disquieted about the ordeal, since this wasn't just some magic from the journal that could be explained by the mere nature of the book. This was of Dipper's own design, his own magic that he made without a spell, without words written down for him. They probably didn't know it, but he did this off of pure emotion alone. "It's a teleportation spell Dipper. It moves something, or someone from one location to another." That was the exact moment when Dipper realized the source of Ford's fear. He wasn't afraid because Dipper was like Willow or William, like Dipper himself, he doubted that Ford cared that one of the family had an affinity for magic. He guessed that someone else in the family, if not gruncle Ford, had the same gifts. It was the whole notion that Dipper had used that much energy, and probably a fairly advanced spell to help Bill, that seemed to bother Ford. Dipper turned his back to the charred earth, ready to defend himself, instead he stopped almost instantly. The look from his entire family shook him at his core, and he second guessed his assumption that this was about Bill and not about Dipper using magic separately of the journals. 

He felt as if he was one of the creature's in Fords lab, being stared down and examined while still the watcher was afraid. They felt the energy now leaking from the young teen, the untapped potential that before he'd only dipped his pinkie into. Now that he had shoved his whole foot into the water they were mortified of what emerged on the other side and even Dipper was aware of the implications, if only because of Willow and her thorough explanation about witches and other magically affiliated mortal beings while he was her prisoner. "Dipper...Bro-Bro...When could you? How?" That was the last drop of the hat for Dipper. Ford and Stan being that scared he could deal with but Mabel was something else. He gave everything for his twin, even his own desires for his future, and for her to look not at him but through him to the aftermath of his own impulses was more than he could bare. A similar and yet more painful emotion from the one he felt when he fought with Bill boiled inside of him, the runes glowing brighter behind him and illuminating the contours of his families faces. Cicadas buzzed in the distance, fireflies were dancing everywhere, the air smelled sweet and the sky was gently colored. The tree's still swayed so gently and small puffy clouds danced in the sky above. 

Dipper took his family into a lengthy regard, their faces only growing with surmounted concern as the energy pulsed around him. He took a breath into his aching throat, his eyes watering from the light and from the nervous, guilty aching in his chest. They were afraid that he could, and would hurt them. That their Dipper was replaced somehow with a weapon ripe for the manipulating. He could feel it in the aura's they gave off, in the way the air moved and danced against him in a feeling that felt the color gray. Static filled his ears and he knew only that he was torn between run and fight. He needed to think, to decide how best to approach this but he was also mad, terribly livid that he'd gone through everything he had with all of them and that they still would look at him the way they were. This drove him closer to his runed circle, his eyes straining now against the light and forcing even more tears. The force of magic pushed his bangs up, his hat flying off into the yard somewhere and he was vaguely aware that his birthmark was now exposed. "I am your blood." he spat at that with more venom than he knew he could, his feet stepping back into the circle fully.

Their figures swirled and morphed out of view, Mabel rushing at him in a way like a slow-motion scene in a movie. She'd never reach him and they both knew it but he felt appreciation for the fact that out of everyone, his twin still ran for him. He felt nothing for a solid few moments before everything seemed to stretch and pull in different directions, impossible directions that physically wrenched him. His body ached in pain and his stomach felt turned inside-out, even though he could place his arms on his torso and feel that everything was still there just as it had been. He couldn't see past the hot, blinding light that engulfed him and there was such a heavy and deafening silence that he could actually feel blood trickle down from his ears just from pressure. This was the embodiment of true regret, his entire body tumbling over itself as the light faded away and he was tossed into tall scratchy grass. He assumed it was grass at least. The world was so loud, in a way he never realized it could be and his body felt like it wasn't even a part of himself, his stomach already heaving out whatever material could slip past his still sore throat. He didn't have any sense of where he was, but it was familiar, safe, almost as safe as the shack had felt. 

He felt a warm hand touch the skin of his back and he wondered when his shirt had torn and if that was all that had torn. Familiar, high-pitched laughter breathed beside him and he didn't bother to run it through his mind properly. He didn't want to recognize that person, or even that they were there at least for the moment. He could only think one thing while emerged in loamy soil, tall swaying weeds and the sounds of bubbling water in the near distance...

He ran away. And worse, he ran to Bill. 


	13. Qvc Zl Gbrf va Qrzba Jngref

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper finds himself leaning on an unlikely person in light of what happened with his family, coming to some new understandings about the psychotic triangle demon. Meanwhile, unknown to him, Mabel finds herself lost in the woods while searching for her brother, the usually upbeat twin working through guilt and a looming threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got working on this as soon as possible to make up for lost time and because my juices were flowing. I'm super excited for this chapter. I thought I'd try a new paragraph setup to see if it's more reader friendly this way. Let me know if you guys like it broken up like this or if the old way was better :).

The sky slowly turned into a sea of obsidian and diamonds above the canopy, the waning half moon giving light into the small clearing where the grass swayed gently against the faces of two teens. The brunet, still exhausted from his mishaps from the past week found himself tracing the constellations, finding the big and little dipper where he got his nickname. He could hear the gentle breathing from the blond beside him, their golden eyes seeming to move from the sky to him occasionally. The silence was drawn out but not uncomfortable, summer time insects making a gentle buzzing throughout the clearing. It was starting to chill as Oregon nights often seemed to, and if he craned his neck, Dipper could make out the mountains peak hovering in the distance, a shady silhouette in the towering evergreens and hardwoods. hazel eyes gazed towards the teen shaped individual beside him, tracing the lines of their face while he tried to gauge their current feelings, since content was not something he really thought the other was capable of. The blond's face was crease less, expression relaxed though not quite content as their eyes gave way to their curiosity. Dipper crossed gazes with the other, realizing that he'd been caught staring as a grin stretched unnaturally along the blonds mouth. 

"Have something to say Pine Tree?" 

It was the first time either had actively said anything since Dipper had emerged in the clearing. There were so many questions he'd had at the time and so many he had still but he didn't have the energy for the blond's antics, especially while still in shock and denial about his magical affinity. There was another stretch of silence while Dipper thought, which was spent with the two engaged in an impromptu staring contest. Both of them were too prideful to look away first, though Dipper was tempted to so he didn't have to keep noticing little color variations in the blonds golden eyes. 

"Still not talking kid? That's alright. Take your time, I mean I've got an eternity. You on the other hand...Well maybe you do."

There was a harsh laughter, boisterous and loud that beat against Dipper's ear in a way that was eerily reminiscent to chalk against a blackboard. He let out a disdained grumble, the first noise he'd dared to make from his sore throat since heaving his stomach out after teleporting for the first time. There was a spark of hope that glimmered in the golden eyes of the blond, their gaze seeming to study Dipper's body language before that hope promptly died down, their expression returning to a state of complacent neutrality. It was curious to Dipper, that he was lying next to Bill and neither of them were exchanging verbal blows even more so that Bill was willingly accepting that Dipper just needed time to think and sort things out. He had a feeling though, that the cease fire of verbal barraging wouldn't last much longer if the antsy energy coming off of the chaotic mind Dorito was anything to go off of. 

"Hah! There's the good ol' Pine Tree we all know and mildly want to barf around. I knew you'd come back to your mind eventually!" 

The brunet remembered that Bill could read his thoughts, albeit a bit late. It was strange having someone completely privy to his private inner conversations especially when that someone had a limited use of their original scope of power. Dipper still wasn't exactly sure how that worked, though he recalled Bill mentioning once that he'd used Dipper as a meat suit. There was a bit more to it, Dipper was certain of that and if the reluctant though guilty stare he was getting from Bill didn't say enough then nothing would. 

"Kid...Would you stop narrating your inner observations about me? I'm RIGHT HERE. It's not like I enjoy taking a backseat into your MEANINGLESS EXCHANGES OF ELECTRICAL CURRENTS AND NEUROTIC NEURON IMPASSES. Ok, you're right. I'm lying. This is hilarious." 

Dipper couldn't help the smile that crossed his face, the action involuntary though clearly what the demon had been hoping for. Still, he decided he wasn't going to regard Bill verbally, if only to torment the blond for existing and making Dipper's own existence so miserable. 

"Ouch Pine Tree, that one dug into the VISCOUS POURS of my eternally pulsing vascular waste dump. Don't think too hard on that one, it's all nonsense." 

That earned Bill another smile, and a silent laugh which was bringing back that hopeful spark in the demon's eyes. Eventually Dipper would have to give in and say something to Bill, they both knew that, but he still wasn't sure what exactly to say or which question to start with. Normally with Bill information didn't come free unless giving it freely benefited him more than trying to wrangle something in return from the querent. As such, Dipper had to make his first question a good one, one that counted and answered an important mystery. 

"Why did you stick around after I teleported you here?" 

It wasn't the worse question he could have asked, though as he studied Bill's expression Dipper began to wonder if he'd wasted all of that purposeful silence on something the demon wasn't actually willing to answer freely. The silence returned making Dipper hyper aware of things moving in the forest, something to his right catching his attention and making him jump.

"Relax Pine Tree, it's just a deer. None of the scary critters come out this far. Unless you include me." 

Dipper snorted, turning back towards Bill with a look suggesting that he was not just mistaken but horridly so. Brown eyes scanned the disappointment in the liquid gold, and it made him feel a little more confident. 

"Bill. As of now you're about as scary as a small cat. It can still claw and scratch sure but said cat seems more content with begging for attention." 

There was a bitterness in Bill's gaze, and it was the only warning Dipper got before he found himself pinned against the earth cool dirt pressing past his thin t-shirt. Bill's face was close, too close for comfort and he had his knee's digging into Dipper's thighs keeping him from successfully thrashing free, not that he was really trying to anyways. For a strange moment Dipper felt no fear as he looked into the eyes of someone who had tormented him since he was twelve, and he could see there wasn't even really any heat or threat in the demons eyes as he glared down at him. It kept the two in a now more awkward silence, both in a stalemate as Dipper was unafraid, and Bill seemed uncertain on whether or not he truly wanted Dipper to be afraid. 

"Ha, please kid. I could kill you right now if I wanted to. I could for example,"

There was a pause, where Bill released his grip on one of Dipper's forearms tracing his fingers up the limb until he met with one of the veins in Dippers neck. 

"Sever your artery. It'd be messy sure, but you'd slowly choke on your own blood as air got into your vessels." 

There was a momentary discomfort when Bill pressed down on Dipper's neck, seeming fascinated by the pulse that beat steadily underneath the digit. The blond met with Dipper's gaze, his expression slightly soured as he tried to find any sort of real concern in the brunets eyes. 

"Tepid at best Pine Tree." 

Dipper could hear the words the blond muttered, their bodies too close for either to really get away with speaking even softly. The demon seemed displeased and move on, now sitting essentially on Dipper's lap in exchange for placing both of his hands on the sides of Dipper's neck. 

"I could choke you, or apply enough pressure to both sides to break the discs between your cervical columns."

Dipper laughed as Bill pressed on his neck gently to demonstrate, the teen met with disbelief and astute curiosity from the other. 

"Pinning a person down one o' one Bill. Never let them get their hands free." 

Dipper did give Bill a moment to process what he'd meant before he used his strength to push the demon off, returning the favor of preventing the other from moving. There was a soft rustling complaint from the grass when Dipper forced Bill back, the demon clawing at the brunet's arms out of surprise until Dipper hand managed to secure his wrists.

"Now then. If you really want to scare someone the last thing you want do is sound complacent. I'd think you of all creature would know this by now. As well, you have to actually present a threat to that individual which, as of this moment you don't." 

He'd never admit out loud that there was something invigorating about disarming his old nemesis. It made the demon seem, somehow less horrifying even when Dipper recalled what Bill was capable of when he was at full power. The teen did wonder if perhaps he'd become disenchanted with existence since then, considering Dipper of a year ago or even a week ago wouldn't have been so bold as to pin down Bill Cipher though he'd certainly have loved to get the opportunity to. 

"Careful Pine Tree, a guy could take that the wrong way." 

It took a moment for Dipper to realize what Bill meant, the brunet raising an eyebrow at the blond to express his repudiation. 

"You're not a guy Bill, people are guy's and you aren't a person. Also gross man, you've got some serious issues."

There was amusement in Bill's eyes, his expression reminding Dipper of last night and it actually made him uncomfortable. He mistakenly let up his grip slightly, wanting to distance himself from Bill just so he didn't have to look at him anymore. Bill was all to happy to regain his position over Dipper from earlier, the two wrestling slightly as Dipper resisted even though he ultimately lost the skirmish. 

"I do have issues, you're right about that Pine Tree. The biggest being WHY IN THE NAME OF THE VOID OF CRIPPLING NON-EXISTENCE aren't you afraid of me now?"

There was a calm smile across Dipper's face, his brow quirked up just slightly while he watched Bill tantrum like a small human child who couldn't get their way. It was both comical and absolutely obtuse ("really kid, triangle jokes?") for the likely eons old demon to be acting so immature. 

"I'll have you know, that maturity is a false concept created by human society in an attempt to passify and brainwash your entire species. And BOY OH BOY did it work."

There was about as much heat to their current conversation as there was to the damp soil pressing once more against Dipper's back, caking on from the pressure of not only his own weight but Bill's as well. There was a dull ache now in Dipper's legs from Bill cutting of the circulation, and he could already feel his toes beginning to tingle. Locks of brown hair were matting from the soil, sticking to it as Dipper pushed his head back as far as it would go to create a pocket of distance. 

"You're avoiding my question, aren't you?." 

There was a stillness as Dipper stared up at Bill, nothing moving except for the grass and the rise and falls of their chests as they breathed. The chilly night air didn't really bother Dipper even as temperatures slowly dropped. The tree's rustled and the silhouette of an owl soared overhead, just barely in Dipper's field of vision. The ache in his thighs was starting to become more numb the longer Bill sat there and he could already feel the inklings of a cramp coming on, still he stubbornly refused to move, afraid of having to deal with more of Bill's antics. 

"Pine Tree... Dipper, instead of me answering that dumb question, how about we start with what the EVER EXISTING HORROR is bothering you?" 

There was a sense of confusion and unease that enveloped Dipper, his mind swimming with even more questions than before. He was relieved when Bill finally let up, sitting down in front of him instead of on him but there was a steady gaze that he held on Dipper that left the brunet a little uncomfortable. He couldn't fathom that Bill really cared about his family issues for starters unless tearing their family apart would be useful to him, which was always a possibility. Not only that, but he wasn't sure he trusted Bill enough to start spilling all of his problems out though the fact that he could trust him at all left a sickening sensation in Dipper's stomach. There was of course a third possibility that Will was the one who was so concerned about Dipper's well being and that it manipulated Bill's personality to some degree, especially since Dipper didn't understand fully the dynamics of how they shared the body and had no real way to judge it's effects on both individuals.

"You're rambling in there kid."

Dipper sighed adverting his gaze from Bill as he collected his thoughts. He still didn't feel ready to talk about everything that happened and certain there were things he would never tell Bill for as long as he existed, but he also couldn't hide from the fact that he ran away from his family. If he'd been someone like Mabel it would have been something both of them could have shrugged at since she was periodically impulsive, but Dipper wasn't so much so. He resigned himself to his fate after running his thoughts through a loop, meeting up with the steady and pointed stare Bill was giving him.

"They...If you had seen the way they looked at me...Like I was some kind of monster."

There was another stretch of silence and Dipper found himself drawing his body into a self-protective ball, emotions running rampant. There was something about opening up and talking about a situation that forced someone to really analyze it, and this time Dipper wasn't sure he wanted to. His family meant everything to him, he'd even die if it meant saving them but how could he take care of his loved ones when he was the one distressing them? It was a question he didn't have an answer to, and judging by the silence, Bill didn't have one either.

"You're not a monster kid. I might be, by certain people's opinions, but you? Please kid, you're about as HORRIFYING as a small rodent. Not even a dead one, and those are my favorite. But is that seriously it? Your family got spooked by your new found temper tantrum and now you're SPIRALING INTO A MASSIVE VOID OF EMOTIONAL TURMOIL AND SELF DOUBT? Come on Pine Tree, where's the spunk? Where's the fight? Don't tell me you've gone and sizzled on me."

A sigh left Dipper, the brunet turning so his back was facing Bill. The cold night air was finally starting to get to him as goosebumps erupted across his arms but he felt numb to it, his mind replaying the look on Mabel's face specifically. He partially wished he'd just taken up Ford's offer last summer but he also kind of wished he'd never have come to Gravity Falls. He'd never have met Bill but he also would have never have helped rescue gruncle Ford or have met Wendy, not that the two were any closer as friends as they'd previously been. A hand touched Dipper's shoulder and he felt his muscles jump, his heart pounding against his rib cage in surprise and his pulse hastening. He glanced over his shoulder, hazel meeting gold as he did. There was something between annoyance and amusement in Bill's gaze, his lip twisted up into a partial grin as he seemed to be studying Dipper's own expression.

"We both know you don't mean that kid. You love it in this ENDLESS VACUUM OF NONSENSE AND CHAOS."

That part was true, and Dipper saw no sense in denying it. He didn't want to add liar to the list of things wrong with him, though he supposed he did bend the truth sometimes but that was more like withholding and not quite lying persay. He turned his head back to a normal position, his eyes gazing at the tree line while his fingers absently rustled through the grass. There was a crispness to the air around him and he could have sworn there was a smell of cinnamon coming from somewhere. Bill hadn't moved his hand from his shoulder, the warmth making Dipper aware of just how cold he actually was. For a meer moment he actually entertained the idea of stealing some of that warmth but as soon as it had come he shoved it back not daring to touch that idea ever again. 

"I wish I had never met you Bill...I wish I had never met Willow. But wishes are just that...Wishes. I cant just wish on a star and magically everything is better. So...What can I do?" 

Finally he turned back towards Bill, the demons hand dropping back to his side and his head tilting just slightly to one side. There was a dumbfounded expression on the blonds face, an expression Dipper had seen only a few times on Bill's natural form making it strange to see it with all of the facial muscles a human face had. The blond breathed out almost as if he was laughing, his breath coming out with a puff of steam that floated off into the summer night. One of his arms reached back and scratched at a thick mess of blond hairs, his gaze drifting off to the side. 

"Not surprised by that sentiment Kid, but what do you mean by what can you do? Normally I can guess but honestly your thoughts are more unorganized than the INFINITE SUPPLY OF ENTERTAINMENT OBJECTS in Time Baby's play room." 

Dipper smiled at Bill's analogy, a brief laugh escaping him before he pulled his expression more serious. His hands were back to fiddling with the soft blades of grass and his mind was doing loops trying to argue him either for or out of his current idea. After a few moments of being stared at by Bill and uncomfortable silence he cast his gaze back to Bill's the demon immediately holding the same expression save for a quirked brow which gave away his interest.

"I want to control my magic, to learn about it. If I can control it maybe I can show my family that I'm not dangerous. Plus," 

Dipper paused, his expression hardening for a moment and he could just barely see Bill's shoulder jerk from either surprise or trepidation. He felt that same strange electricity filling his arm, his fingers tingling slightly as a particularly strong emotion washed over him. Memories of what happened to him while Willow's prisoner flashed through his mind in brief clips that went by almost too fast to comprehend but too slow not to remind Dipper of what conspired. 

"I have a mighty need to settle a score."

....

Mabel had kept her usual optimism at a high, even as her great uncles could be heard bickering in the other room. She'd preoccupied herself with knitting a new sweater for Dipper, making it magic themed which amused her. She did her best not to dwell on how hurt he'd looked when she last saw him, the fear in his eyes or the way he was trembling. Instead she was counting in her mind, making sure she didn't miss a stitch or over-size her run. Knitting like this was almost second nature for her by this point, and it was her favorite pass time but she couldn't find herself getting any enjoyment out of it, something nagging at the back of her mind like an itch in her nose that she wasn't allowed to scratch in public. The bickering was slowly dying down as time moved forward, all light from the day gone and replaced with a darkened sky that she could see from her window if she'd been inclined to crane her neck that way. Something bumped against her foot and she glanced down, meeting the gaze of her beloved pig Waddles who was nuzzling her with his snout. She smiled and fetched a carrot out of a bag she kept by her side, watching for a few moments as Waddles scarfed down the orange vegetable. 

"I miss Dipper."

She spoke out to no one in particular, her eyes feeling aching and watery as she looked down at her pig. He was now sitting down, a concerned snort leaving him while he tilted his head slightly to the side. She smiled at the regard and patted his head to let him know he was good. There was an ache in her chest as she finally glanced to the window, her rainbow curtains slightly obscuring her view of the horizon which was dotted with thick rows of tree's. 

"Ah what am I thinking, Dipper's...Dipper. He'll be fine. Plus Bill pretty much stalks him so I shouldn't be so worried...Right?" 

Her hazel eyes returned to her pig, Waddles now rolling on his back which made her smile slightly. She patted his belly and put the partially finished sweater on the edge of the bed, her gaze set again on the darkening sky. She finally let herself absorb everything that happened that day, her chest aching with worry and regret as a chill seemed to descend over the shack. She knew it meant that it was getting cold outside and her mind wandered back to her twin, out there wherever he ended up without his bag and thus without any of his survival items. An image of him shivering underneath a great tree drew her to standing, her fingers adjusting the hem of her jean shorts which had ridden up her thighs slightly from her laying down. She walked over to her dresser and grabbed some colorful, beaded hair ties from the surface of it, tying up her long hair to keep it out of her face. She gave herself a satisfied nod, pulling over the third drawer to reveal jackets of different styles folded neatly within. She felt waddles bump her foot as she put one on over her t-shirt, a smile crossing her face while she bent down to pet his head.

"I'll be back soon buddy. I just need to do this. If Stan asks I'm in the shower." 

She gave him another pat before slipping on her shoes and grabbing her bag from the hook she kept it on. She felt hesitant for a moment as she stood in front of her door way, her finished sweaters catching her eye from a box in the corner of the room. She stepped away from the handle and pushed back the first two finding one she'd made that was bright yellow, and one that was gray with a blue tree on the front. She shoved them into her bag and finally opened the door to her room, closing it behind her as quietly as possible. Passing by the living room was a bit of a challenge since Stan was watching the television, a cold adult drink (which she was by no means to put in her Mabel juice young lady) in his hand and his eyes glued to the old t.v. screen. She counted her lucky stars (hehehe shooting stars) as she managed to sneak by and get up the stairs to Dipper's room. She was surprised to find the door open, gruncle Ford standing inside with something in his hand. It took her a moment to get a view of it, the elderly man pacing the room while muttering under his breath. She recognized the post it note as one of the one's Dipper had written his Bill theories on, the memories of the other night bringing a smile to her face. It had been nice to have fun with her twin like that, and in spite of all that happened last summer she'd started to have hope that Bill could come around and become a better person...Triangle...Thing. 

Her mind was brought back to her gruncle as he slammed his fist down on Dipper's desk, the old man slumped, looking over the surface with his shoulders lowered. To Mabel he looked so worn and frail like that, the usually very tall and proud individual looking so much more human to her than he ever had before. She'd never been particularly close to gruncle Ford, though she had made a few efforts to get to know him. He just didn't want to be known, and she wondered what exactly was going through his mind, if he was thinking regretful thoughts about how they handled Dipper's gift too. She absently stepped forward, her shoulders hunching back when Ford whipped his head around and stared at her. His eyes looked puffy, red veins starting to fill in the corners and his nose tinting a slightly rosy shade. Mabel realized that he'd been about to cry, her mind trying to process that for a moment before she mumbled a sorry and started to step back towards the stairs.

"Wait...Mabel, it's ok...I was just...Trying to get some clue to where he might have gone."

She half considered running away, but she needed Dipper's bag, and she realized Ford wasn't going to go anywhere any time soon. As discretely as she could, she took off her own bag, laying it beside the door before she stepped in. The room was as messy as it always was, post it notes still strewn every where from the other night and some of them crinkled from the boys fighting over them. She saw a small pile now stacked on the desk, no doubt the one's Ford had gone through already, and in numerical order as well. She came to stand beside her gruncle, her eye catching the strap of Dipper's back which's location she kept note of for later. There was a moment where she could hear gruncle Ford's breath hitch, his eyes down cast as he held Bill Theory number nineteen in his palm. She partially wanted to say something to him but she stopped, his expression so sorrowful that she couldn't really find the words.

"I remember the first time I used a spell."

It was kind of out of the blue, and it took Mabel aback, her eyes scanning his expression for some hint of humor but he just looked sad. She found herself fiddling with her jacket zipper, the fronts of her shoes rubbing together as she fidgeted. She wasn't exactly surprised that he'd used some kind of Magic before, even she had gotten a taste a few times when exploring with Dipper but it was never anything like what her brother had pulled off today, and she wondered if Ford had ever done a spell like that without any training or direction. 

"Bill had been the one to show me my first spell. It was a simple thing, just turning off the lights. It felt empowering...But also unreal, terrifying all in the same way that it fascinated me. We didn't exactly grow up believing in Magic...Creatures and mysteries were one thing and so I just attributed it to the power of the words he'd given me to say. I was convinced that it was all thanks to my deal with him that I was able to do any of it. But...Your brother didn't have that kind of relationship with Bill, and as far as I know his only interactions with the magical spectrum has involved saving Stanley's mind and summoning Zombies. Things I'd done myself. It shook me, when he just made something happen like that. I was terrified because I thought for sure the only way he could pull it off was if he'd made a deal with Bill...I realize that I was wrong...I should have let him explain before I leapt to conclusions like that." 

Mabel couldn't think of anything to say, especially since she had felt just as confused and afraid though their reasoning was different. She found herself reaching up for Ford's sleeve, a smile crossing her features which felt worn and just a little forced. 

"Honestly gruncle Ford, I think we all could have handled it better...I bet Dipper is just as scared and confused as we are."

She could feel her great uncle flinch slightly, his head hanging lower beneath his shoulders and his eyes shut tightly. She wanted to say something positive, to encourage him or at least herself but she simply couldn't find anything to look forward to. In her mind they'd hurt Dipper in a way that would take a lot of time to heal, especially since he left the way he did. His words 'I am your blood' run in her ears even still, and tugged at the guilt already welling in her chest. She decided to leave Ford alone, making a side trip to grab Dipper's bag though she pretended to be looking at one of his notes that handed ended up in that general direction. She reached down to grab the strap, pausing as Ford's voice called over to her.

"I can guess what you're thinking of doing kiddo...I'm not going to stop you but...Just be careful." 

She decided not to respond, grabbing the strap of Dippers back hurriedly so he couldn't change his mind. She paused at the door frame, putting on her own bag and readjusting Dippers. She slide glanced at the scrunched form of her gruncle, the man already reaching for a new note to look at with a blanched expression. 

"We...We can still fix this." 

She called back before slipping away, keeping her steps as quiet as she could manage while she snuck past Stan again. He was still enraptured in the movie he was watching, and she could see from the angle she was standing at, that it was one of his creepy stop motion films. A shiver ran down her spine and she crossed into the kitchen, filling up two water bottles and snatching some granola bars from the cupboards. She tried to think of all of the places her brother frequented, the realization that she didn't really know her brother's habits as well as she'd thought dawning on her. 

"No matter. The woods are only so big."

She knew she was lying but she needed the encouragement to go through with her plan. The sentiment did give her some courage, at least enough to step outside but as she crossed the lawn she found the night to be bitterly cold, and the woods towered in black silhouettes before her. She felt a little daunted by her self appointed task, her gaze drifting back to the spot where Dipper had made his magic circle. Part of her wished she could just step through it and start her search from there but she doubted it would work like that. Instead she walk towards the mystery trail path and stepped off trail, pushing through layers of underbrush that tickled at her ankles. The deeper in she went, she found herself jumping at the shadows, creatures sounding off around her, and occasionally giving her the sensation of being watched. She had considered for a moment, calling out to Bill in the hopes that he just had some super hearing, but as something snapped behind her she realized that being quiet was her ally at the moment. She told herself that she didn't need Bill, trying to trick herself into believing that she was strong and independent and could hold her own even if she was scared.

The deeper she went in the darker it seemed, her flashlight doing little to comfort her as the shadows from the tree's seemed to stretch at an impossible length. Her mind was running through all of the safety procedure's Dipper had tirelessly drilled her on from the journal, and she found herself wishing she had listened a little better to what each kind of night creature was and how far in. That thought reminded her that she actually had no idea how far in she'd gone by this point, the woods seeming to be unchanging as she walked further. Her ankles started to itch from the variety of low lying plants that managed to grow under the towering hardwoods and ever greens, bug bites decorating her arms even though she felt it was too cold out for mosquitoes. She played with the idea of calling out for Bill once more as something crackled to her left, her flashlight revealing nothing significant from the direction of the sound as she whipped around to face it. She couldn't quite recall what to do in case one was being hunted though Ford had covered that their first week back to the Falls. She'd simply never imagined herself in the woods alone without Dipper so she had seen no need to pay a lot of attention.

"Curse my adorable air headed nature."

She murmured quietly to herself, continuing her forward trek even as something loud hollered from her left. She paused after walk another stretch, catching a glimpse of something bright shining in the distance. By this point her eyes had adjusted enough to where she could basically make out where she was going so she didn't have her flash light on, the light coming from a different source than herself. There was a naive optimism that the light was Bill, wandering around in the woods as she had found him many nights ago when she'd lost sight of Dipper during the eclipse but another thought told her to turn around and head back quickly and quietly. She ignored the latter part of her instincts and continued forward, figuring nothing out here could compare to the demons she faced down during Weirdmageddon, the light shimmering in the distance once more. It seemed to be an orange-red glow, like flickering flames and it in a way enraptured her, the light seeming to just fleetingly disappear into the distance every time she neared where she'd last seen it. Slowly though, she got closer, catch a glimpse of long brown hair that shimmered under the light of small wisps of flames that danced around the individual. It took her all of a second to process what she was seeing before she backed away slowly, her heart pounding in her chest as the figure continued forward. She found herself stumbling back as her foot landed in a hole made by some creature or another, an involuntary screech escaping her lungs as her back hit the cold, solid ground behind her.

She stared ahead as the person surrounded by flames turned abruptly, blue eyes peering ahead for a moment before they looked down, the small wisps of fire seeming to dance across the ground in the distance between herself and their owner. Worried, Mabel dragged herself back, the leaves and pine needles on the forest floor noisily protesting her movement and drawing the flames towards her even faster, the blue eyed person still standing in one place. With what she considered a stroke of luck, Mabel had pulled herself up so she could limp behind a tree, the flames stopping just in the surrounding area and creating a long overcast shadow. There was a long silence where she could just hear the crackling of the small flames, neither herself or the individual seeming to move for a good moment.

"You dropped your bag."

Mabel felt like there was ice in her veins, the horribly familiar voice terrifying her by how close it sounded even though the distance between them had been rather impressive just moments before. The light steadily grew brighter, small forest creatures escaping from the casted glow and the leaves rustling as it seemed something had been lifted from the ground. Mabel silently drew in a breath and pulled out her cross bow and bolts, making sure to knock one of them before she stepped out into the light. She could feel the warmth from the surrounding flames, the balls just high enough off of the ground not to burn the underbrush. Ahead of her, surrounded by a fair number was the blue eyed woman. There was an amused smile across her lips, her blacked arms lifted to reveal Dipper's backpack which Mabel had dropped when she fell. Mabel considered rushing forward to get it, even at the risk of being burned but as she stared down the witch she realized how silly of an idea that was and not in the way that had lead Mabel into a fair share of victories. The girls stood only about three feet from each other by this point, Mabel pointing her cross bow level with Willow's heart. It was more of a threat than anything, she knew full well she would be unable to hit the witch before the flames would catch the bolt, and if Willow attacked first then Mabel would be in a bad spot. She could already feel an ache in her ankle from her fall, which meant she'd be slowed down so instead she had to stand her ground and hope she looked more intimidating than she felt.

Silence crept between them, the grin on Willows expression slowly growing wider with each moment, and Mabel realized she'd been scouted. There was no way Willow didn't know she could easily defeat Mabel, and from experience, Mabel knew that negotiating wasn't going to work. She figured that Willow kept gazing through the tree line in search of Billiam, likely still believing that Mabel was under some kind of mind control from Bill. Mabel watched her scan to her left side and drew in a breath, a momentary rush of bravery over coming her icy fear. She held the bolt back as far as she could and released it, hearing it whistle as it shot through the air and headed the distance towards Willow. Mabel closed her eyes as it flew closer, too afraid to actually see the out come of her attack as the sounds of a raging fire over took the whistling sound of the bolt, the surrounding air super heating and drawing out the cold night air uncomfortably.


	14. Nyy guvatf gung evfr, gbb zhfg snyy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper has been struggling through his training with William and Bill for the past week, and his haywire emotions are getting the better of him. Bill tell's him if he can't get control, he could become consumed by his own powers. Meanwhile, Mabel has been missing since she set out to find her twin, sending her great uncles into a desperate search each night to find her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there everyone! Sorry this was so late. I got a new job so life's been pretty busy :). Anyways I hope you enjoy! Also I may go through later and re-check for spelling or grammar issues but for now it looks pretty solid :).

"Sheesh kid. At this rate I'd have better luck training a baby monkey." 

Cold air swept down from the mountains and into the tree line, shadowy silhouette's dancing softly underneath an indigo sky. The moons beams peaked from beneath wispy gray clouds, illuminating all things below with a gentle white glow. The wild grasses, which rose to the tip of Dipper's knee, rustled gently and released an earthy scent into the night air. Puffs of breath rose into the atmosphere as Dipper's chest heaved, his hazel colored eyes glaring ahead at the slightly blurry form of Billiam. He rose his arm and wiped away a bead of sweat which fell from his hairline and ran alongside his forehead. His fingers still tingled from the failed spell which had burst up into the atmosphere like lightning and dissipated into the milky starlight. The other stared back with luminous golden eyes, which kept an unmoving and ever critical gaze upon the brunet.

A soft groan left Dipper's chapped lips as his stomach rumbled, a slight pain accompanying the feeling. For a moment he considered asking Bill for a break, but memories of Bill bringing him a variety of inedible items surfaced and he recoiled physically. For someone who was all knowing, Dipper found he knew very little of human diets. Remembering when Bill poured Soda all over Dipper's eyes (well he was in Dipper's body) highlighted that thought, though it wasn't like Dipper starved in the past week. During the daylight hours he would learn magical theory from William as well as a bit more about the teens past. Will, unlike Bill, found eating just as necessary as Dipper did so he saved eating for when someone with more sense came around. Regardless, this was his fifth failed attempt at the same spell which was draining down Dipper's energy level. 

"I know lots of things never meant I know everything kid. Also, one mistake is forgivable but yeesh. Stanley would have been less moronic and he has the magical and mental competency of a gnat."

Bitterly cold, Dipper shivered from irritation just as much as his surroundings. He was getting more frustrated as he continued to keep with Bill's gaze, the golden eyes seeming to taunt him despite the fair distance. The younger teen knew he wasn't a moron, and certainly not inept when it came to magic but Bill's ceaseless taunting made him feel as such. His finger tips prickled with his rising emotional energy, the grass seeming to sway away from him almost as if it had some kind of sentience, and in Gravity Falls Dipper wouldn't doubt that it did. 

"I'M TRYING!" 

Flames crackled and blazed at his heels, rising a bright orange glow into the chilled air and warming the surroundings. The sounds of crickets and other nocturnal insects ebbed into the crackle and hiss of flames as the still slightly moist grass interacted with the unnatural flames. The embers spread as soon as the moisture was sucked from the atmosphere, rising steadily upwards and across the breadth of the clearing. A white noise echoed into Dipper's ears, his vision completely blurred even as his eyes still tried to glare ahead. His breath hitched and heaved harder than before, billowing the flames that were still leaking from his open palms. 

"Dipper. Concentrate. If you get lost in that...If you get too overwhelmed your power -will- consume you."

Bill's voice was gentle, lacking its lustrous ethereal echo. The sound starkly contrasted the noise of emotions filling up Dipper's senses, the heat of the flames already returning to him from a prior state of numbness. His eyes shut and he focused on the nearly overwhelming feelings coursing through his body, pulling them back in with the knowledge that he could consume not only himself but his surroundings as well. The flames died down as his breaths evened, the chill of the night returning but with a distinct smell of charred earth. He could feel his body begin to tremble as he recalled why he was even here, tolerating Bill's unique way of teaching. He pictured the flames consuming his family, his friends, and everyone he cared about which pulled in a feeling of fear instead of anger. He wanted to curse all of what Bill was for making him feel that out of control, but he realized that despite all that was Bill, his fear and lack of control was of his own doing and he couldn't overcome those things alone. 

" Glad you've come to your senses kid, just calm down and breathe. That's a thing you flesh bags have to do right?" 

Dipper might have laughed, if he wasn't so exhausted. The crickets chirped in the distance, but not nearly as close as before. It made the teen afraid to look, to see the amount of damage he unwittingly caused to the area. He could feel the coiled, dry grasses against his skin and he kept his eyes closed. He couldn't face what he had done, his mind stuck on the expression of his gruncle's faces, and of Mabel's. He felt as if he really was some kind of monster, his knee's trembling with the rest of him as he felt his ambition and strength begin to give in. 

He was more aware of sounds, the grasses crunching as Bill moved through them from across the way and the air filling with the smell of ashes. The moment he could physically feel the warmth of the other body he felt himself crumble, knee's giving up on holding himself against gravity. A different weight had settled on him now, his face against Billiam's shoulder and his eyes brimming with tears. He didn't care what was before him, just that it was solid, more solid than the thoughts plaguing him. 

"You need to get past this Pine...Dipper. If you can't, you'll never truly have control." 

Dipper finally peaked his eyes open, blackness stretching before him as what was left of the grass. He didn't dare look behind himself, his gaze settling instead on the slightly muddy sweater Bill was sporting. It was the same one Mabel had made for him when they teamed up to rescue Dipper, and it smelled kind of like cinnamon even though neither himself nor William had showered in at least a week. He tried to focus on what Bill had said, his fingers grasping at the soft yarn along Bill's arms while he tried to reconcile with himself. Fire magic, like all magic, was almost a living entity. It consumed and overwhelmed the uncertain and unwary, sometimes even the creator of the flame itself.

He recalled even, some of the information Willow had shared while she systematically tormented him. He could feel his body physically recoiling as he thought about it, flashes of memories passing by and leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He was pleased when his pillar didn't move, opting to silently watch while he ran through his own thoughts. She described magic as something that was an essence of ones self, where its nature reflected the nature of the individual able to host it. It was never that the user was in control, but rather that they lived in semblance with their magical energy. It was a symbiotic relationship, where the user gets to abilities of the magic and all it comes with, while the magical energy gets a conduit and amplifier for its own nature. 

"That's right Pine Tree. Magic is kind of like a dance."

The ashes swayed into the night air, and wind whisked around them as Bill pushed Dipper back and spun them both. Dipper stared with surprise, and unprocessed shock as Bill danced them both across the ashen field. There was a wry grin across his face, a child-like glee in his gaze while Dipper tried to reconcile how he was able to get his useless, clumsy legs to work, and why they were dancing in the first place. There was a moment where Dipper considered that Bill was going to spin him into a tree and laugh at his misery, but it passed. Bill had been surprisingly civil ever since Dipper admitted that he wasn't scared of him anymore. It wasn't that he didn't still view Bill as a potential threat, because he certainly did right now, but rather he wasn't holistically tormented by the mere mention of Bill's name like he used to be. 

"You see kid, magic flows like any other energy. It turns, and twists with the energy of it's host. If there is a good enough connection, the dance will be effortless, almost like floating. But if the host should hesitate." 

Bill's hands released Dipper, as well as whatever spell Bill had been using to keep him upright. The brunet tumbled slightly, catching onto Bill's fore arms and stumbling over his own feet as the other began turning again. The grin shifted more towards a smile, his hands grasping Dipper's own to steady him though he never quite stopped moving. He tried not to imagine himself tripping and falling on the ground, or worse stepping on one of Bill's feet while he scrambled to keep up, but like with most things if the goal is not to think about it, thinking of it becomes inevitable. He felt himself be pulled sharply as he nearly became a self-fulfilling prophecy, a grin still splayed across Bill's expression as he continued to move them into a kind of slow dance.

"The connection becomes unstable. The magical energy needs somewhere to go after all, so it will begin to take the lead. It will try to make up for what it's host is lacking, to accommodate for the things making said host hesitate. So it will become the one, showing the host how it wants them to dance."

A shriek left Dipper as he was spun around, Bill pulling him forward slightly, and leading him across their clearing space as he illustrated the points he was making. He seemed to be gleefully enjoying Dipper's clumsy confusion, his teeth now glinting under the moonlight while he pulled the brunet along. The air filled with small orbs of light, surrounding the two and moving along with them. Dipper tried to stare at them, the light almost enchanting, but he was moved about again. He forced himself to focus on both the words Bill was saying, and on the movement of his own feet. It was proving to be difficult as he narrowly avoided tromping on the toes of his unfortunate instructor. 

"Your job, as the host of the energy, is to match the dance for now. Then it is to lead it. The point is not to overthink it, or to become uncertain. Just feel the flow of your energy and move with it. Go on, try moving along with me. If you fall, I might DEVOUR YOUR LIVING ESSENCE. Just like your magic will."

Dipper felt lost for a moment as he shot his gaze downwards, trying to follow the movements of the others feet. It only worked at first, before he stumbled and bumped into Bill. In response the other sent a slight amount of tingling energy into Dipper's arms, reminding him of the consequences of falling behind. Dipper brought his gaze back up, fear reflected in his pupils as he tried to search Bill's own eyes for some semblance of stability, or mercy. He found none, only a joyful smile and unwavering resolve in his gaze. Finally, Dipper took in a breath, his mind calming for once though a few wary thoughts lingered like if Bill really would eat him. He began to follow along, but stumbled as his mind worried about messing up. 

Another jolt shook him and he stumbled forward to catch up again, his legs awkwardly chasing after the more graceful way Bill moved. His eyes, which he hadn't known he'd closed, opened and met with Bill's steady gaze again while his feet started crossing over themselves as they both twisted again. He worked on controlling his breathing, recalling all of those first steps to magic lessons both Bill and William had given him over the past few days. The air around him no longer felt so cold, with the combination of their body heat and the movements they were partaking in. He no longer felt his legs trembling weakly, though his movements were still uncertain. He reminded himself the first step was to breathe, steady his heart rate and focus on his in take and out take instead.

"That's right Pine Tree. Just breathe. Relax a bit. I can still feel tension in your movements."

He sighed, closing his eyes again so he could block off his sense of sight and focus on his air intake. He felt his shoulders loosen up gradually, his legs keeping up a little bit with Bill until he turned again and he tripped forward. 

"What's the next thing after breathing?"

The ground swayed like sand beneath their feet, the air moving with each twist of their bodies. Dipper remembered that he was suppose to feel the energy around him, the way it moved and pushed against him. The lights from Bill's magic danced underneath his eyelids as he let himself feel Bill's movements, the energy between them lighter and more serene than it had been a moment ago. He dared to open his eyes, meeting with what was now a less stern gaze from the other. He was almost unaware of how he was moving at this point, the air around him filling up his senses along with his breathing.

"Much better. Now let go of both of those things. Remember what the last step is."

A warm feeling welled through Dipper as he stopped focusing on his breathing and the energy around him, instead allowing himself to feel his own energy in tangent with the energy being enacted on him. Bill's grip on his arms relaxed, his hands moving to his shoulder and side instead as they continued the strange dance. He felt like laughing, his thoughts wondering to how bizarre it was to be dancing with Bill. He felt himself stumble and corrected himself, the pace becoming easier the longer he followed along until he didn't really have to consciously think about it at all.

"That's right. Keep focused but not too focused. Don't let your mind wander. Now I want you to take control Pine Tree. Don't let me, or your energy guide you around. You have to enact on my energy now."

The orbs of light now moved away from them lingering stagnantly, they filled their surroundings with a much more gentle glow which Dipper interpreted as a representation of semblance. He felt the way they both moved, the back and forth movement of their feet but each time he pushed forward Bill pushed back. He tried several times to change direction, finding that there was a playful resistance on Bill's part. At first he thought the triangular pain was being stubborn out of his very nature, but he realized that, again, it was a representation of magical energy. Energy that strong wasn't simply going to bend to him, so he focused instead on their surroundings and on the subtle movements they both made. Bill's energy was strong, and seamlessly consistent but as they turned he could feel his foot slide just slightly. He waited and realized that the same move seemed to be a slight weakness since there was that same slight loss of seamless motion in that one movement. 

The next time they turned in the same manner, Dipper pushed forward, pushing back on the direction Bill was trying to go. There was a bit of resistance at first, their energy seeming to clash and collide but it didn't last long. He could feel Bill's fluidity waning, the golden eye'd individual slipping just slightly. Dipper was now smiling, pulling Bill along with him and moving them both in the direction he wanted to go. They were a little choppy at first, but it didn't take Bill nearly as long to catch up and move at the same rhythm Dipper moved at. They continued to move like that until after some time it became unclear to Dipper where his energy began and Bill's ended. It was simply just movement, both of them seeming to be completely in sync as they kicked up more of the ash and dust. 

Dipper closed his eyes and simply let himself feel nothing. There was no longer any focus on his movements, or where they were stepping to next, instead he just felt the energy they seemed to be sharing. He let his forehead rest against the other's, their breath tickling his nose as they both moved to a non-existent music. He felt confusion boil up between them, to which he wasn't certain who felt in first. He lifted his head simply from the intensity of it and found himself staring back at Bill, who looked as confused as he felt. The lines between the two felt non-existent and still he wasn't really sure why they were confused, or even why they were still moving. The point had been made, and surely Dipper had passed the lesson. Still they kept going, the movement almost so natural by now that it was subconscious. He didn't know how much time had passed by this point, though the air did seem to chill even more as he adjusted to Bill's body warmth (well the body and the warmth were William's, but at this point it didn't much mater). 

They were just wordlessly moving as the confusion and uncertainty hovered between them, their movements gradually slowing until finally they both stopped. Both lingered there, under the sky which was beginning to lighten as the night ebbed into dawn. Neither seemed to know what to do, or what to say, just staring at each other with the same kind of gaze. Finally Dipper found himself laughing, his arms releasing Bill as he held onto his own sides. He was laughing at the irony of what he just did, at the fact that he was dancing with Bill Cipher, that for a moment he connect so well with the other that he forgot time or physical being. The entire thing was funny to him, but strangely it was warming and left him almost giddy. He wasn't concerned anymore, even when Bill too started to laugh, both nearly in tears from how funny the entire thing was to them. It took a while but they calmed after a while. Every now and then, one of them would tremble with a mini laugh fit but otherwise it had calmed. He laid down on the ashy ground below, the glowing orbs dissipating as Bill joined him and the stars stretching out above them in a slightly less intense light. 

"I've taught very few people that way Pine Tree. You're the first to actually complete the task."

Dipper had a hard time believing that, his head turning slightly even though the smell of ash was uncomfortable, all so he could see Bill's expression. There was actual surprise reflecting back at him, and with as much disbelief as he was feeling. He tried to think of something to say in response, however after some time, he simply looked away and gazed towards the slowly brightening sky above them. Soon it would be day time, and the birds were already waking from their roosts and calling out into the distance for whatever reason it was that they called out. With the sun, came the end of his night with Bill and he found himself a little saddened by this. He wanted so much to discuss the lesson. He wanted to know if it was normal for their collective energies to connect like that, why no one else supposedly finished the lesson before, but those kinds of questions were one's he knew could wait. He figure'd they would both need a little time to think about what happened anyways. 

The sky turned a bright orange-ish pink above him, the suns rays leaking through the lower canopy from the east and spilling across their faces. Its beams warmed the cold air in each place it touched and the world around them stilled for just a moment. Dipper found himself unable to resist looking over at Bill, a peaceful smile on his face which otherwise would have seemed unnatural. He gazed back for a moment, waving to Dipper before the golden hue bled out into the soft green of William's eyes. The other teen's brows instantly furrowed and he glanced around himself, taking in all he could see from the ground. Concern overwhelmed Dipper as quickly as it crossed Will's face, and Dipper wondered if they were still connected in some weird way as William stood up. 

Dipper followed the motion, the warmth of the low rising beams leaving his body as ash fell from him and the cold air surrounded him once more. He could see William's head darting about as he saw the aftermath of Dipper's destruction, the sandy consistency of the ground leaving behind the track marks from where Bill and Dipper had danced. The green eye'd boy simply scowled and stepped forward, crossing the clearing a small ways and stopping at the stream that saved the other side of the grass. He was completely silent as he siphoned the water from the stream into the ground, small shoots of grass already climbing up from beneath the ashes and tickling at Dipper's heels. Dipper called over to him but William didn't respond, his gaze set on the ground until he finally dropped the stream of water and stared at the small shoots that grew in place of death.

"MABEL!"

Birds flew from their perches, blacking out the sky above even with the sun starting to rise. Somewhere, a manitaur fled from foraging and deer were darting into deeper cover. The shout echoed through every inch of the forest, shaking the very air around the two teens. The underbrush crackled and complained as something large and upright moved clumsily along, breaking off anything in its path. From the edge of the clearing, closer to William than himself, Dipper could see a familiarly tall man. His glasses were crooked on his face, a scarf wrapped tight around his neck which also draped over the collar of a long jacket. Dipper met the other's gaze for a moment, both seeming to be frozen in place. The calm was gone, and if the look on Gruncle Ford's face told him anything...There was everything to worry about. 

.....

The sun beat down on Dipper's back as it hung low in the sky. The forest echoed and creaked around him, and he could feel the dryness of his throat as he tried to call out into the distance. Equally hoarse, he could hear William's voice off to his left which was followed by Gruncle Stan and Gruncle Ford's. They'd sprawled through nearly two miles of forest after Dipper had joined up with Gruncle Ford and convinced him that he was going to search for Mabel with Will even if it meant doing so alone. Halfway through they caught up with Stan, the four now trying to find Dipper's hard headed twin without also losing track of each other. The search felt fruitless, and Dipper was trying his hardest to ignore the self-blame bellowing in his stomach. He learned that Mabel had gone out a few hours after he left to search for him, but she still hadn't returned. Ford blamed himself since he told her to go, and Stan seemed to be keen on blaming both Dipper and Ford as well as Mabel's own stupidity. 

They were all tired, and Dipper knew he was at least thirsty and hungry so he stopped walking and released a small ball of light energy from his palm into the mid-canopy. He heard the other's stop shouting and their steps became closer. William reached him first, since he was closest and he looked just about as worn out as Dipper felt. He still had adamantly refused to speak to Dipper since he saw the damage in the clearing and by this point in the afternoon, Dipper had given up on trying to get him to talk. Instead he sat down on the debris covered ground and stared upwards while he waited. He was surprised when William sat right next to him, though he didn't need to gaze over to tell William wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Dipper wondered if he was suppose to apologize but he still wasn't entirely sure of what he was suppose to apologize for. 

Above them, he could see fairies dancing through the tree branches, gathering nuts and colorful leaves as they moved along. Squirrels hopped from one branch to the next and the sunlight filtered down to them through the leaves illuminating small particles in the air as well as small gnats that buzzed in the warm light. It was almost peaceful but there was a strange feeling of anger and confusion that he struggled to place. It was slowly overwhelming him and he realized it wasn't his own feeling but William's, which confused Dipper enough for him to recoil slightly, William doing the same. He couldn't believe he could still feel Bill and in this case, William's, emotional energy. It was hours ago that they had taken on the exercise, so he figured it would have simply worn off by now. Then again, as he thought about it, Magic like all energy leaves an impression so if their magical energy had also entwined then, than it make sense that it lingered. 

"I...I'm sorry."

William didn't seemed to accept the apology, his gaze irritated before he stood up and stepped away from Dipper entirely. The brunet followed, stopping himself from pursuing Will for answers as his Gruncle's approached them. He crossed gazes with Stan for a moment before the fear returned to Stan's gaze and he looked away, Dipper shifted his focus to Ford who looked tired and agitate. The four came within earshot of each other, though it seemed no one could really keep eye contact with anyone else or bring themselves to speak. Dipper felt a wave of annoyance, his fears still trying to gnaw at the back of his mind though he pushed them back with thoughts of Mabel out there alone or in some form of danger. 

"We won't find Mabel if we're all tired, thirsty, and hungry. We need to take a break and rest before we can continue."

Dipper saw a slight amount of disagreement in Stan's eyes, but it died down fairly quickly as his stomach rumbled. The four gathered together and shared the water Ford and Stan had packed along with the food they brought with them to look for the twins. Though Dipper felt as though they only planned to bring one of the twins back with them, especially as angry as Ford was that he was in William's company. The silence as they ate was so strong Dipper could hear a shrew as it dug for insects in the leave behind him, its small paws kicking beneath the leaves and pulling up dirt. There was a small herd of deer bounding through the underbrush to his right, and he could feel the weight of the suns light as the temperature peaked. Without so much as a word, Stan and Ford got up and split off from the other two again, only Ford gazing back at Dipper before he called out for Mabel again. They could only shout like this in the day time, it would be far too dangerous at night. The day brought its own kinds of dangerous creatures, but most of the things out and about now were relatively harmless, so they had to make the most of their time and use it wisely.

Dipper trudged forward relatively alone, even William being so far that he could just barely feel his energy. The woods seemed endless, and repeating though he was never really lost since he was familiar with this part of the forest. He wasn't exactly sure where his sister would have gone around the forest, particularly since she hadn't ventured through them nearly as much as he had, but he convinced the gnomes to help him search which increased their manpower. He wasn't too concerned about Mabel being kidnapped since he knew how to handle to gnomes but his worries were increasing with the lowering light. So far, no one had signaled that they had found a clue so they were mostly stumbling around blind. It wasn't enough to deter Dipper, he knew if his sister was out in the woods somewhere he'd fine something to tell him she'd been there. He only wished he had the same connection to her energy that he had to William's at the moment.

......

The sun now dipped below the tree line, the air beginning to cool as the same mountain air pushed down from the west. Dipper's legs seemed to drag against the leaves as he continued on, his eyes occasionally drooping closed or becoming unfocused. The search was tireless, Dipper wondered just how many days his Gruncle's had spent sprawling through the same patches of forest hoping to find a clue. He felt a sense of hopelessness, the woods still unrelenting in their sheer volume before him. The Gnomes had to stop a while back, though Jeff gave Dipper his sincerest promise to look again in the morning for 'The cutest girl in this stretch of existence.' so it was just the four of them. He hadn't seen any of his fellow comrades for a while now, and their calls had become less frequent as the time passed. He considered giving out another of his flares to call them back together but his instincts told him to press on just a little bit more. 

The scenery was almost unchanging as the tree's stretched out taller than the previous one's, and his eyes drooped even more. He paused, letting himself recalculate his plan of action when he caught something glimmer in the low light level. It was so small he nearly missed it, but he drew forward until it was inches from his feet. It was metallic and looked distorted so he crouched down and grabbed it, examining it in what light was left. It was the tip to a bolt, but it was melted and misshapen, its metal gooey as though it had been introduced to extreme heat. He realized it was one of Mabel's when he caught sight of an intact bolt stuck to a large cedar. The shaft was singed, but it still had her signature carved into the side of it. Concern turned into fear of the worst as he stood in the center and let a scene play out in his head, some of the ground slightly singed as well though in strange patches. 

There were a few magical creatures capable of such a thing, but with the height Mabel had been shooting at, he could only really think of one. He held the items left by his sister in his hand, ashes left behind from the scorched shaft and leaving his palms blackened. He felt angry, his mind filling with all of the rituals that Willow had performed on him and how she might try to do the same to Mabel. He subconsciously touched his free hand to the scars on the opposite arm where he had been repeatedly cut with the old ritual knife, his anger turning into something more of a seething rage. He called out, though he couldn't recall what, and found himself completely consumed in his own flames. The heat was so extreme his skin ached from it, and his vision turned white as a strong serge of energy pushed out from his body and into his surroundings. There was no sensation but white, hot rage, and the physical burning of his skin as he became consumed by his concern for his twin.

For a moment he lost himself in his fear, his mind still vividly playing through his own traumas but reflected into his twin. He heard Mabel's crying so loud in his mind, he didn't even realize it was an illusion. He tried to reach out for her, to free her, but it was a consistent distance no mater how he moved or tried to approach. He stumbled forward and felt a searing heat, his mind interpreting it as Willow attacking him. He screamed from the heat, a flickering blue light catching his eyes. There was a calm feeling that rushed towards him as he stepped towards it, this object actually getting closer until he could physically grab it. He held onto the warm and familiar sensation it's light pushing away all of his feelings of anger and concern. He could breathe finally, though the air around him was suffocating, and he was struggling to find the source of the feeling. He needed to ground himself, and that was as close as he had, his feet moving almost of their own volition towards the distant source. As he moved the air became more breathable. His senses were slowly returning, but still numbed by his desperate need to find someone, anyone else. 

The underbrush crumpled loudly as something moved towards him at a fast pace, his mind releasing itself from its lock down as he felt the source of the calm feeling closing in on him. His body collapsed against the brush and he felt a harsh ache in his skin as if he'd stood in an oven, though he might as well have. He felt someone pull him up off of the ground, though clearly not as successfully as they wanted, if the grunt they made was enough to go by. Instead he felt them sit down by his head, his body moving once more of its own free will as he clung to the only thing that felt real at that moment. He wasn't completely cognitive, the anger still lingering in his mind even with the strange feeling over taking most of it. He felt like he was at war with some part of himself and it was a war he might have very well lost. 

"What's the first step to conjuring magic?"

Sobs left Dipper as the other's voice broke through to him, his arms clinging even more tightly though it hurt to do so. His anger was gone, and instead he was afraid, finally able to comprehend what had happened back there. He could still feel the weight of Mabel's bolt in his hand, the smooth wood solid against his palms which was one of the only areas that didn't feel burned. He couldn't manage his breathing, though he did try, instead he got out loud hiccups and sobs. The sky had completely darkened to a deep eggplant and the sun was far enough below the canopy that the tree's turned into an endless sea of shapes before Dipper's tear blurred vision. He faintly heard more hurried steps approaching him, and there was a hand on his back though the touch was so light he nearly missed it. 

"I....I...I'm sorry. I couldn't....I could've..."

The sentence never made it past his harsh intakes of breath, his tears burning the skin of his cheeks as they fell down his face. He couldn't really take the time to asses the damages to his own body, but he figured it was bad since the emotions coming from his head rest were a blend of concern and pity. Rather than focus on that idea, Dipper tried again at breathing, his chest heaving and spasming each time. The other sounds were drown by the steady breaths of the other person, and he found himself mirroring that instead of just trying to get his own balance. He could hear the intakes and out takes, and very subtly the beating of the other's heart from where he was laying. It was more relaxing than clicking his pen which would have seemed funny to him in any other instance but in this one, he didn't have much heart for laughter.

"Much better. Just breath. You're ok now."

The other sounds became clearer, the running stopping abruptly from two different sources. There were faint pants from behind his head rest, a distinctive wheeze he associated with Gruncle Stan echoing out into the night air. The energy around him felt static, a strange sense of fear and hyper-energy filling his senses and causing him to bury his head just to try to drown it out. His grip finally had loosened on what felt like Bill's torso, the fabric of the sweater bunching slightly from where he'd held on though it was still comfortingly soft. He reached behind Bill's thigh and grasped at the ground until he found the shaft of the arrow again, his hand holding it out for his Gruncle's to notice as he still didn't have enough energy or serenity to try speaking again.

"What did you do to him Cipher? What was that wall of flames? I want answers damn....Oh no."

The angered tone of Ford's voice made Dipper recoil more, his body jerking slightly as he was assaulted by a nauseating wave of pain. Sounds echoed against his ears as his Gruncle seemed to draw closer, the elder drawing unnaturally still as he did. The brunet still couldn't dare to look at himself, to see what he'd done to his own body, but he could feel the pained energy from both of the people around him. It was joined by fear as another set of steps came forward and stopped about where Ford did, the stares he could subconsciously feel making him curl inwards. His skin felt stretched, and a pained groan left him as he curled up to make himself seem smaller. The ground smelled earthy and there was a strong scent of pine, the air chilling against his skin uncomfortably. He had no idea if he had successfully burned off his clothes, or his hair, or even if he had simply melted his clothes to his own body but he felt more panic surge and falter as he considered those things.

He heard one of his gruncle's move, the elderly man's fingers slightly brushing his own as he reached for the bolt. Dipper let it go, the loss of the object actually helping ease his mind a little. He had theories and conclusions, ideas of what happened to his twin but no good way to word them. He never told his gruncle's about the things Willow put him through, and he only barely told Bill. If he tried to speak, he'd probably just sound deranged so he trust gruncle Ford to come to a similar end point. They were both good at investigating, and Ford had years more of practice than Dipper could currently dream anyways. 

"I...I failed. That's what I did...Pine Tree, I need to move you to a water source. It'll probably hurt when I do but I need you to bare with it ok?"

If he'd had the sense to nod or shake his head, he might of but he was lucky he was bearing through the pain he was currently in. The ground beneath him was shimmied away by a pair of arms, one linking under his legs and the other supporting his back. It was about as painful as he could have guessed when Bill lifted him, but the teen grit his teeth and buried his head so he didn't worry his gruncle's further. There was no point in hiding anything from Bill now, since they both seemed mutually capable of exchanging emotions. It was a concept he made a mental note to research later, since that would certainly not be free information.

The walk to the nearest creek was filled with moments of awareness and unconsciousness for Dipper. Every now and then he'd catch tidbits of conversation, or see a glimmer of light from the moon stretching out over the canopy, but he wasn't often awake for very long. The kind of exhaustion he was feeling, dug into his bones and left him a little disoriented. He heard Bill trying rather civilly to explain how this happened to Gruncle Stan and Ford at one point, but he never caught their response. Before he was even aware time had passed, he was being lowered down into a fairly deep creek. The cold water stung his skin, and without thinking he reached out for anything just to get away from the sensation. He nearly pulled Bill into the water as well, the other digging their heels into the creek bank for support while Gruncle Stan could be heard laughing in the background. Dipper muttered something of an apology which was waved off instantly, and he was left in William's care. 

Will was quiet at first, like earlier that day, but he didn't waste too much time healing Dipper's burns. There was a kind of disappointment in his gaze, his green iris' occasionally daring a glance over the more badly burned area's of Dipper's skin before he'd return to looking at his face. The brunet wanted to break the awkward silence somehow, even without getting some semblance as to why Will was angry, when he realized that -was- why he was angry. Will had made several attempts to get Dipper to understand the idea of harmony and semblance with one's magic and he'd always shrug it off and continue learning the way he thought best. Bill was able to make Dipper grasp the idea in one night, with relative ease as well. If he thought about it, he'd probably have been a little sour too.

"Will...Thank you." 

He wanted to say so much more than that, to apologize for being stupid and to tell him how much he appreciated having someone he could call a friend around. But the words never came, just a thank you that Will seemed to take as a reward for healing him. It was almost as painful as some of the harder to heal patches, to see the gentle natured teen so upset. He let his mind drift off, the pain finally ebbing away as William wiped away all but the horrible memory of the event. For a moment, he could see a bright beam of moonlight illuminating their surroundings as it hung overhead, the light shining off of tears that were slowly seeping down William's cheeks. Dipper thought about saying something, but he didn't. And he figured, he probably never would.


	15. Nyy tbbq guvatf raq va sver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dipper is brought back to the shack while he recovers from burning himself, but his gruncle's are horrified to find they can't get him in past the barrier. Bill and William decide to leave Dipper in the much more able care of his great uncle's while they continue the search for one Mabel Pines, even if it meant going directly to Willow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm glad so many of you have enjoyed my story. I know there has been some slight consistency issues with my writing which I may go back and fix later. Anyways, we've probably got two maybe three chapter's left in this particular story. I have decided to begin a sequel once I finish this out :)
> 
> Thanks for all of your support. It means a lot.

Sunlight flickered through layers of leaves, the towering hardwoods dropping dew as the morning heat warmed the area. There was a steady rumble of small plants and ferns as they were pushed aside by the men walking over them. Stanford was staring up at the canopy, small birds fluttering and taking flight as they began their search for food and a few acorns dropping into the lower canopy from an oak tree. He could hear his brother's noisy breathing beside him, the gray haired man looking completely worn out. At his other side he could see the top of William's head, Dipper tucked safely in the older teenager's arms. 

He swallowed down the urge to yank his sleeping nephew out of the teen's grasp and get him as far away as possible, if only out of respect for said nephew. He and his brother were concerned about Dipper's health after they found him in Bill's company completely burned, the young teen still unconscious since a night ago. They had settled in and made a campfire, the older men keeping it going and foraging while the possessed teen kept a keen eye on Dipper. 

Ahead the forest was thinning, and it reminded Stanford of his brother's thinning hair, or his own thinning patience. Twice now he'd been forced to make a truce with Bill and his unfortunate vessel, and this time felt no more pleasant for him than the last. He had a hard time overcoming all of the awful things Cipher had done over the past few decades, and he saw in his nephew the same naivety that he himself once held. 

He had to learn the hard way that Cipher wasn't good or capable of change, and now he had no choice but to watch his nephew learn the same lesson. He had thought that, after all the things they went through in Weirdmaggedon, Dipper had a better grasp of Bill's nature by now yet still Ford kept finding the boy in the demons company. He crossed glances with the young man named William as the three made it into the yard of the shack, the green eye'd young man looking as down trodden as Waddles did in the window of the shack. 

He didn't know the young man very well, or really anything about him other than the fact that he was possessed by Bill but he didn't doubt that he was just as Naive as Dipper was. He could picture many circumstances in which, such a kind seeming youngster could end up roped into a deal with Bill he just wasn't sure how Bill made it back into their realm of existence after he'd thought they erased him from existence. 

"I...Um...He says you can't...Really erase something that...Doesn't have a mind."

Stanford narrowed his eye's at the young man, the faux blond glancing back at Dipper as the brunet twitched in his sleep. The feeling to take his nephew from the strange boy came back, this time with a bit more fervor as he realized the teen was talking not just about, but for Bill. He had convinced himself that his mind was safe from Bill's mind abilities but with a wizard as his vessel Stanford wasn't quite sure what kind of amplification it gave the demon's abilities. 

He let his mind wander about the implications and even complications of making such deals with wizards or other magical creature's as they all made a solemn march to the Shack's porch. He stopped only as he noticed the blond come to a complete halt, the young man just a foot or two outside of the barriers range. He had only seen the young man come into the shack once, when he agree'd to a truce to save Dipper from the witch Willow, but he didn't know how the barrier actually affected him. 

It was definitely something he wanted to study, the idea of co-existing with a creature like Bill a fascinating one, but he had made enough mistakes with his nephew without torturing the person responsible for his continued existence. To that effect, the elderly man felt he owed the young man a thank you at least but he couldn't find himself able to speak such words. Instead he grabbed his brother by the shoulder, his twin staring blankly between himself and the blond as if Stanley was simply disillusioned with life.

"I can't go in there...So I'm going to leave him with you two. But I um...Want to make something c...clear."

Stanford was extremely curious to what the young man had to say, already taking Dipper from the blond while he was receiving a hard stare. He didn't find the teen to be too intimidating, since he'd faced down many creatures much larger and far more powerful in his time, but he knew when someone was seriously about to threaten him. He might have laughed at the youngster's attempts to seem more intimidating if he didn't know the boy shared an existence with a much more threatening entity.

"If you hurt Dipper again, in any way. I will never let him near you again."

A snort escaped from Stanford's throat before he even thought to reel it in, his stubborn streak surfacing as he stared down the young wizard. He had respect for magical creatures and their capabilities, but he didn't know who this young man thought he was telling Stanford Pines he couldn't be around his own nephew. 

"Young man, you'll be lucky if I don't send Dipper back to Piedmont. You and that monster you are strapped with have put him and his sister through more danger than I can stand."

There was a defined darkness in the young mans gaze, one that seemed to well from within himself instead of within Bill. It was a look of someone who had lost everything and thus had nothing more to lose by fighting. It was something Stanford had seen in his own reflection a few times, and it was something he could respect to a degree. To have put up with, and even suppress Bill's toxic power for such an extensive period of time was impressive, but not so much so that Stanford felt ready to entrust the young man wit his nephew. 

He wstched the young man start to seize him and stood straighter than he had been before he ignored his twin whrn he squeezed his shoulder in a 'Back down' kind of fashion, keeping his gaze set on the wizard teen. William laughed mockingly at Stanford which irritated the older man further. After a minute or to of sizing eaxh other Ford handed Dipper off to Stanley, the gruffer twin looking slightly offended for a second. 

"Put him in danger? I've worked tirelessly to keep him safe. You think he survived this past week without me? It's not like Bill can function as a person. But I wouldn't have needed to shelter him if you werent so...so horrible. He trusted, no, trusts you. All of you. And now thanks to your irrational feats, he's so afraid of himself that he won't even consider going back to this place. And let's not forget whose fault it is that Mable was out in the woods alone."

Stanford was readying a rebuttal in his mind as this teenager had the nerve to sass him, telling him how to be about his own family but it was all lost from him. The barrier glowed brightly, runes filling the space where it covered the circumference of the shack. Stanley stood dumbfounded as the building rejected him, a pained groan escaping from their nephew. Stanley stepped back a bit, the runes dissipating and the light of the barrier relaxing until it was hard to tell it even existed.

It took a moment for Stanford to process what happened, his gaze quickly returning to the young man whose eyes were the same shade and shape of Bill's now. There was a look of completely shock on his face, his gaze meeting Stanford's own making the anger growing inside the elder even stronger. He snatched Bill by the collar of his yellow sweater, holding him a few inches off the ground to keep him eye level. 

"What...Did you do to my nephew?"

.......

Drops of water leaked from the slats in the wooden beams, a small puddle already forming across the weakened floors. The room smelled like an old gym locker, with a distinct mildew-y sent wafting in from the consistent dampness of the dilapidated building. Cold drafts pushed in from all sides, the glass-less windows letting in the steady down-pour of rain. The building creaked and groaned as it settled in the humidity, the sound only drowned out by a rumble of thunder and the occasional footsteps of someone across the hallway. More water droplets came down from the roof, some pinging the scalp of a brown haired girl and dripping down the sides of her long hair.

She shook her head in a dog-like manner and shifted, something metallic dragging across the wood grain and clinking as she yanked forward. The steps in the other room halted for a moment when the metal jingled, the brunette rolling her shoulders while her arms seemed to be suspended behind her from some source. Her hazel eyes glared at nothing in particular, a puff of air leaving her as she blew strands of hair out of her field of vision. The steps began again, coming closer until another girl with a redder shade of hair stepped into the dark brunette's field of vision. The lighter brunette leaned against a weakened door frame, bright blue eyes narrowed as she examined the shorter girl who was chained to the wall.

"The wood may be a little worn with time, but you're not going to be able to pull that chain from the wall. Now sit still like a good damsel and pray to whomever you wish that your brother or your master will come for you."

The smaller brunette spit at the other, her hazel eyes narrowed with a deep set anger. Another drop of water fell from the ceiling, landing beside the darker brunette where another small puddle was starting to form. The lighter haired girl scowled, the spit falling just short of her shoe and heaping on the floor her gaze meeting back with the smaller girls. She raised a brow at the angry young teen and turned away, leaving the other to the cold, damp room in silence, her shoes echoing across the wooden floor.

"He's not my master you freak of nature, he's my friend! And you better hope my brother doesn't fight you...you doodoo face!"

An exasperated huff left the younger brunette, her knee's scraping across the wood as she shifted again and the chains made more noise. She huddled against herself as best she could to keep the cold out, her eyes grazing the form of her sweater that the other girl had put just out of her reach. She yanking again on her chains, the name MABEL written in bright letters across her T-shirt in bright rainbow colors shimmering in a slight beam of sunlight that escaped from the over-cast sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance again, the rain picking up in intensity bringing more water droplets with it. 

Mabel sighed as more water dripped onto her hair, making it stick heavily to her head and hang flat against her already cold body. She tried once more to lurch for her jacket, the chains pulling back with enough force to make her fall on her rear. Her legs ached from sitting so much, the chain too low to the ground for her to actually stand up though she wanted to, if just to let the circulation back through them. She rested her shoes out towards the edge of a puddle, the water rippling with each droplet which in any other circumstance would have been peaceful to look at. She could hear the other girl pacing in the next room, her mind wondering what had her so antsy. 

It had been eight days since Mabel had been caught, and she only knew this because she scratched the wood with one of her nails with each sunrise just so she'd be able to keep track. She didn't actually know -if- Dipper would come for her, only because he likely didn't know she was missing, but she knew her gruncle's at least had to be out there searching for her. She tried her best to leave clues when she fled from Willow, breaking things in an unnatural fashion, shooting arrows at tree's near Willow's head so her family could find them. 

The problem was, she had no idea how deep into the woods she currently was, if she was even in Gravity Falls anymore since she didn't recognize this weird old building. She remembered passing a weird room with a bunch of runes burned into the floor on the bottom level of the old house, something about the candle lined room making her uncomfortable. She wondered if this was also where Willow had taken her twin while he was her captive, and if she had him in that creepy room. She didn't really want to think about it, but she was relatively unharmed so she only hoped the same had been true of her brother. 

The downpour continued for was seemed like another hour or two before it rumbled off in another direction, the beams of sunlight a welcome change from the damp, cold water that still filtered in from the ceiling from time to time. Willow had stepped out at one point, her footsteps echoing past the hall and down the stairs until there was no noise. Mabel took the opportunity to do some crunches, her chained arms actually convenient for such a task. She'd been doing this same routine since she had been dragged, kicking and screaming, to this old building. She was certain she was put in the leakiest room on purpose but it was her hope that if she did some kind of exercise while she was here, she could find her own way out. 

Times like these she was envious of her brother's ability to plan, though she figured even Dipper hadn't been able to plan out of this place since she and Bill had to come to his rescue at the cliff. She missed her brother more now than she did when she left that night, her mind replaying fond memories of their younger years while she strained to pull her legs up to her torso. Lying on the chains was uncomfortable, and it reminded her of a time she and Dipper camped in the back yard without putting down a tarp or getting out proper sleeping bags. She smiled at the memories, the hope of doing more dumb things keeping her positive nature around, though she'd have to admit that it was getting harder to be chipper and optimistic. 

She ceased her actions as she heard footsteps moving through the house, her ears almost not picking up on the gentle creaks. She was a little confused, since Willow loved to trounce around loudly, her mind doing its best to keep her at a mild state of freaked out. She cursed her imagination and kept still so she could listen, the steps very light and almost calculated. Her chains clanged against the floor as she shifted so she could hear better, her pulse raising against her chest as the house went horribly silent. She could hear the normal kind of creaks and groans, the droplets of water falling on the floor, even the silent rumble of the kerosene heater Willow had running in the other room. She bet it was cozy, if not stinky in there. Part of her wished Willow would accidentally explode the gasses in that room. 

The silence crept on, until the steps started again, this time coming up the stairs in a methodical manner. There was an occasional loud creak from the unstable wood of the steps, and it would go silent again for a few moments. This happened a few times before Mabel realized it wasn't Willow trouncing about but someone else, and hope filled her enough for her to yank on the chains again to make some noise. The steps continued again each time she yanked, and she realized who ever it was, was trying to use the sound to mask their movements. She hoped it was Dipper or Bill and not some kind of creepy serial killer, or a hungry super-natural creature, but she was more than willing to take her chances. 

She smiled for the first time since she'd gotten caught by Willow when a familiar blond stepped into her field of view, her gaze catching his long enough for him to realize he was in fact in the right place. There was a moment where she considered the irony behind her excitement, since Bill use to cause a feeling of dread in her stomach. He was extremely cautious as he crossed the length between the door way, and her, his gaze towards the floor though Mabel had no idea what he was looking for down there. She'd seen nothing but water puddles and wood since she'd gotten here. He took a few more steps with confidence as he got within six inches of her, the floor board glowing bright enough to hurt her eyes as he stepped down. 

She was sat in a semi-state of horror as she heard Bill scream, the blond falling onto his knee's with an obvious look of pain. She couldn't make sense of what happened to him, the runes appearing on the floor completely foreign to her though she recalled similar symbols on the shack when they put up the barrier. Everything stilled for a moment except the harsh breathing coming from Bill, the house almost holding its breath as it didn't even creak once. Mabel felt her pulse pounding against her chest rapidly, her gaze darting from the doorway, to her friend who was trying his best to escape from the weird circle on the floor and draw closer to her. Steps echoed down stairs, and Mabel realized that she had to try to do something before Willow made it up. 

"This is going to be a little weird, but just...Trust me ok?" 

Bill gave her a concerned look, his eyes narrowing though she wasn't sure if it was from confusion or whatever was causing him pain. She decided he would simply have to go along with her crazy idea and she stretched one of her legs out to him, her foot barely touching his hand. He seemed for a moment that he was following her logic, but she knew he was probably lost since she was a fairly spastic person herself. She tapped towards his hand, silently trying to get him to grab her foot but as he looked at her with confusion she found herself wishing he could read her mind too.

"Just...Grab it ok?"

There was nothing in his expression that said he understood what she was trying to do, and for once, Mabel was ok with no one getting it. He did as she asked either way, his grip shaky giving away to her just how much he was in pain. It gave her a little more confidence and she yanked her leg towards her, the force pulling him out of the majority of the circle and somewhat in her lap. He looked at her with surprise before a grin spread across his face, a quiet laugh leaving him and his head shaking so much Mabel couldn't help but hold back her own laugh. He pulled himself the rest of the way out of the circle and quietly sat beside her, the steps still sounding as Willow got closer. Mabel could tell that he was drained, his breaths audibly strained while he rubbed at his ankle, she only hoped Willow would hear no sound and just go away but the likely hood of that happening wasn't high. 

"I figured I'd catch one of you making a rescue attempt."

Willow's voice sounded from downstairs and Mabel saw Bill visibly flinch, his eyes shifting to William's shade as he took control. It was strange to Mabel, for her to see Bill retreat like that, though she figured he had his reasons. They weren't going to get out of this without having to deal with Willow, especially as her steps echoed across the stairs. It wasn't much longer before she was in the doorway, her gaze directly on her brother who had been fidgeting with the chains around Mabel's wrists. William stopped and looked up towards his sister, Mabel watching her as well though she didn't like the way she was looking at him.

"William. I'm so glad it was you and not the runt this time. I think it's time we talk deals brother."

.....

Dipper half leaned against his great uncle's car, the afternoon sun drawing all traces of the early morning rain out of the atmosphere and creating a humidity to the air. His eyes were trained on the woods where his uncle's were busy running tours and guiding people through the trail together. He sighed, glancing back towards the shack with a longing look, small insects dancing in the sunlight that beamed down on the front lawn. He could see Soos hammering away at the roof, patching spots that had leaked during the earlier storm. Even from the distance he was at, he could see beads of sweat running along Soos' face and armpits. It helped that Soos' mystery shirt was darkening in the particularly damp areas.

Dipper himself could feel a layer of sweat covering his body, and he yearned for the shade of the indoors which was tantalizingly close but not something he could actually step into. His Gruncle's didn't exactly explain to him why he wasn't allowed in the shack, though he figured it was because they were still afraid of him. He didn't exactly blame them, considering he burned down part of the forest and most of himself before William and Bill had managed to rescue him. 

He turned his head towards the dirt road as a car came rumbling down, a sleek black limousine rolling into view and stopping just short of where Dipper was standing. He didn't even need the doors to open before he knew who it was, Pacifica stepping out into the heat of the day with a parasol. It had taken a while, but her family managed to get some funding from some relatives who were on the east coast. They didn't have their house back, as McGucket was the current owner but they still lived fairly well within town. Dipper highly doubted that Pacifica's parents had learned a lesson from the Weirdmaggedon incident, not that any one in town was allowed to talk about that. Pacifica for her part, had humbled quite a bit from what he could tell, though she still had the air of riches about her that seemed almost signature for her. She smiled almost meekly as she approached him, her eyes darting briefly towards the shack before returning to look at Dipper. 

"I'm surprised you're outside and not in the woods."

He didn't really want to engage in small talk with Pacifica, his mind on too much else like where his sister was or why he hadn't seem William yet. He gave her a slightly disinterested smile and scooted over a little as he sat up on the trunk of the car, his legs almost long enough to reach the ground now. She seemed to take it as an invitation and joined him on the trunk, the limo drive returning to his vehicle and starting the engine. With a low rumble it drove off, back the way it came and Dipper realized Pacifica didn't just come to drop by for a few minutes.

"Hey, sometimes I do other things. Like uh...Hold down this trunk?"

He contemplated smacking himself from his lame attempt at a joke, but she still laughed at least out of courtesy, her silk gloves creating a slight glare in the corner of his vision. Dipper frowned slightly and glanced back towards the shack, hoping Melody had heard the car and would come rescue him from whatever business Pacifica might have but it didn't seem like he was going to be that lucky. Instead he shifted awkwardly, kicking his feet against the bumper while they both grew qsilent

"Is Mabel around?"  
"What exactly are you doing here?" 

They both snickered when they realized they spoke at the same time, Dipper reaching up and wiping a little bit of sweat off of the back of his neck. He could see his great uncle's emerging from the woods with the tour group, his thoughts hopeful that they could deal with Pacifica since Dipper by no means wanted to tell her his sister was probably kidnapped. 

"Sorry...Um, no. She's...Out?"

He knew he was a horrible liar, he only hoped Pacifica was a worse sleuth. She likely wasn't, based on her piercing and skeptical gaze but she seemed content to accept his fib for the time being. The passing momens were as silent as the day was hot, leave an awkward distilledness to the teens surroundings. 

"Why don't we go inside at least? You're starting to smell like your great uncle. The gross one, not the charming one." 

Dipoer was going to spend the rest of his life trying to shrug off Pacifica referring to Ford as charming, his eyes darting about for anything else to focus on. He couldn't explain why he wasn't allowed inside, or why Mabel was gone. His escuse pool seemed as barren as the simmering landscape beyond the edges of the road.

"Dipper!" 

He felt his heart lerch, eyes darting to the source of the disruption. The forests edge seemed a bare shadow against the dry grass if the lawn, the tangling branches vailing the owner of the voice in darkness. He held a bated breath and gazed towards Pacifica, her body language suggesting that she heard it too though her expression remained stoic as ever. 

The shadows gave way to a bright colored t-shirt, and sneakers that lit up glowing in the under brush. The numbness subsided and he rused foward, forgetting about Pacifica, or the scorching heat. He bound fast enough he hadn't realized how close he was until he collided with the other person. She smelled like mildew, her long brown hair a mixture of damp and tangled, but he didn't want to let go.

He spotted a shadow just behind the tree branches his grip on his twin loosening as he made logical sense of what happened. He half expected for Mabel to stop him as he stepped closer, but her steps never followed. The blond had his gaze downcast, his body language extremely tensed as Dipper got closer and closer. There was a brief moment where Dipper could see him tense and he recoiled back, wondering if William was still upset with him. 

"Thank you. But...how did you manage this?" 

The brunet scanned the woods behind him and caught a glimpse of someone else, a feeling on unease and falling running through his body. Light blue eyes reflected back to him from beyond William, the owner stepping into the deeper part of the forest and out of sight. 

"No...NO! I won't let you-" 

Mabel grabbed his arms, looping hers between his and pulled back harshly. Dipper stumbled back and then lurched forward, kicking at the air against his sisters resistance. William smiled meekly, looking Dipper in the eyes for a moment until he turned his back and followed his sister into the forest. Dipper called out loudly, protested at Mabel for letting him do such a thing, but even he knew it was futile. He soon hung helplessly in his sisters grasp, watching the blond until he was gone from sight. 

He collapsed against the forest floor once Mabel had let go and stared numbly ahead at the space Will had occupied, the under brush still pressed down from the weight of the others shoes. He could hear Mabel talking, and registered that she was apologizing but he couldn't find it in himself to respond. Footsteps echoed behind him and three more voices joined, all rejoicing in Mabel's evident return. 

He might have turned, joined in the festivity, maybe let himself forget about the boy from the woods with the golden hair and green eyes. It would have been easy, as he had no doubts that Willow would at least, accidentally, kill him. But he didn't. He hugged his sister and his great uncle's, told them quietly to watch Mabel and then darted off into the woods, hearing his relatives shout his name in the growing distance.

"I can't let it end like this."


	16. Qlvat vf n arj jnl bs yvivat.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been almost a month since Dipper blindly chased after the Fier twins, the young teen honing his magical abilities while he tried to use his unique connection with Bill to follow Willow's trail. He has done well to remain hidden from both his family and the ones he pursues but the closer he gets, the more willing he seems to try his luck and he may just find himself faced with a problem he cannot solve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long, a lot has happened to me. I had finals a little bit after I released the last chapter, and then I have been in and out of the hospital since December due to complications from a double Micro-discectomy. Anyways, I have one more chapter to write and then we'll begin the next one. Thank you, everyone, for your support :).

Shadows danced across the forest floor as the trees shifted with the wind, the leaves fluttering gently against one another. Gnomes dug underneath the first of the leaf-fall, pulling out mushrooms and small insects from rotted stumps and logs. The sun was warm which contrasted the cool wind associated with the etchings of fall, and the inhabitants of the forest busied themselves with their winter preparations. There was a low whistle which echoed through the forest, the group of gnomes pausing and glancing around for a moment. The whistling continued for another few seconds with the volume subtly growing as time crept on, the sound more human than bird-like in nature. Fearful, the Gnomes scattered into thickets with their bounties and ducked into the foliage, listening to the gentle crunch of branches and cones as something passed by. Squirrels leaped about in the canopy above, just as spooked by the whistling, their spastic movements knocking down weakened twigs and nuts which clamored to the forest floor with distinct crackles. 

The whistling carried off into the distance, along with the gentle crunch of debris along the forest floor taking any possible threats with it. The Whistler walked at a leisurely pace, hands crossed behind their mess of brown hair while they stared up past the openings in the canopy where the midday light was filtering down to warm the earth beneath their dirtied, worn shoes. Hazel eyes left the canopy only to glance at their surroundings, the forest echoing with the calls of natural life and the gentle flow of time passing. The forest seemed almost untouched by the hectic life of human society, its consistency mirrored in the way it was always changing and still never quite changed at all. This brought a peaceful sigh past the lungs of the brown haired Whistler, the dirt beneath their feet lifting up into the air as a small cloud of particles as they shuffled forward. 

After listening for a time to the life around them, the brunet began to whistle again, a gentle tune that only they seemed to know but clearly one they knew well. There was a peaceful smile that crossed their lips whenever they weren't whistling out the same tune, the ground and air around them tingling their senses with the energy of life. This served as a beacon for their destination, a strong sensation pulling them in the general direction of their target. The forest, which teemed with life beyond the known of normal life, seemed to bend away from the brunet, the creatures of magic avoiding rather than bothering them as they whistled and walked through miles of forest. It continued with them unaffected by even the most curious of creatures for quite some time, the sun slowly starting to dip down and cover the canopy in a half indigo sky. 

The temperature plummeted as the sun lowered into the horizon, the whistling ceasing as different kinds of entities stirred from within their daytime roosts. The brunet walked ways further until the sky was completely engulfed in shadow, the shapes of tree's indiscernible and lights seeming to dance in all directions. They settled down and set up a small fire pit, lighting it from the tips of their fingers into a gentle blaze which burned just bright enough to ward away small creatures, whose shadows mirrored the body of a small canine, that had been stalking the brunet since the sun had set. The brunet laid onto their back and stared up at the sky from beneath the tops of a series of large oaks, the stars twinkling in reds, white, and blues above them. They let their mind wander over the summer's events while entrusting their safety to the fire, the energy that was guiding them seeming to settle in as well and leaving them free to relax for the night. 

"Man...I can't believe how much has happened this year."

The Whistler spoke very softly to them-self, the cracklings of a prepubescent boy breaking the calm chirping from nearby crickets. The fire at his side let off a crackle as a pine cone fell into it from above, the smoke coming off of it smelling of sap and warmed earth. He loved the smell of fire, the warmth just enough to bade off the lingering coldness of encroaching autumn and leave him comfortable enough to where should he want to, the boy could sleep. He never did let himself drift off though, keeping his eyes peeled to the sky and occasionally his surroundings instead while he ran over a variety of thoughts. He got up only once from his campfire, fetching some smaller sticks from the surrounding area and lifting logs to collect grubs. He never strayed far from the light of his fire, the eyes of the canine like creatures still mirroring light not too far in the distance, reminding him that he wasn't really safe. 

He sighed quietly when his stomach growled, looking at the variety of makeshift wooden tools he had fastened to a worn down rope around his belt loop, some with pointed tips and others with flattened. He used these to dig into the soil, pushing up the crust until he got to the still damp lower layers, which mashed between his fingers as he grabbed a scoop full. He played with the mixture for a while until he nearly had it shaped into a smooth cylinder with a recessed inside, the structure seeming barely stable until the boy quick blasted it with a palm full of self-sustaining flames. The outside hardened first, becoming more solid as the inside was heated and the entire object cooled. The brunet huddled close to the fire and held the almost ceramic like a cup in his right hand, poising his left hand over the top in a bowl shape which filled with water that poured down into the makeshift mug. 

He pulled his hand back and laid the cup beside himself, his eyes surveying the woods until he spotted a fallen trunk just at the fire's edge. He traipsed enthusiastically forward, scanning the darkness that half covered the log for signs of his stalkers. Nothing was close enough to attack faster than he could deflect, giving him enough comfort to lift the trunk in one hand while using active flames to illuminate the space. Fat grubs sat just underneath the rotted wood, along with worms and other such insects which scuttled away into the moist soil. He pushed the trunk over further and plucked a handful of the larvae into his palm, their thick white bodies wriggling against his skin. He scowled and returned to the campfire, taking the time to skewer a few of the grubs before setting them near the fire to slow roast.

The night stretched on above the canopy, peppering the sky with a paint spill of stars all of which sparkled between the multicolored leaves. The cool night air settled in, kept out by the gentle fire that the brunet continued to feed with a gathering of branches and tinder. The forest creatures cried out from time to time, some sounding close and others eerily echoing off into the night. The brunet stayed within the same spot except to fetch more food for the fire, his face contoured by the light which danced around him making his boyish features look unrealistically sharp. The shadows of trees stretched out behind him, flickering as if the trunks were dancing beneath the stars, the shadows of other creatures passing the spaces in between from time to time. His stomach rumbled, unsatisfied with the meal of insect larvae and he breathed out with exasperation. His mud-caked, burr-covered shoes caught his attention as the fire glinted off of the metal loop rings that held his laces in place. The teen leaned forward and picked at bits of dried soil, quickly resigning to lay back down and stare up past the shivering canopy. 

..........

He finally let the fire die down as the moon rose to its peak above the canopy, using its soft light to continue his steady stroll through the forest. Without any sensible direction, he moved through the uncharted forestry, beckoning to a call only he seemed to hear. He navigated through the unfamiliar entangled roots and underbrush as if he'd walked the same path over and over again, though he gazed about at passing shadows and gentle sounds, not knowing what would leap from behind each tree. The snarling vines seemed to keep their thorns from snagging at his bare legs, the curling stems instead, crushed beneath the steady weight of worn down gray sneakers. His body stilling for a moment as a pale light danced in the distance ahead of him. It bounced off from nearby tree's and glowed a gentle orange, flickering with the subtlety of life. The gentle fire normally might have seemed warm, however, it was starkly contrasted by the surrounding darkness. The curled shadows of trees appearing to be grasping towards him, before disappearing into the rest of the night's darkness. He edged forward towards the source, stopping again near the far edge of the lights reach, staring towards the flames in almost a daze. His hand reached forward as if he were trying to grasp at the figures whose shadows danced against the light, his fingers clasping shut as he stared at his hand with a foreign reverence. 

Encased in darkness, the brunet stood with his hand lingering in place. His eyes seemed focused on the passing shadows of the figures, their forms nothing more than silhouette's against a dark landscape and the backdrop of light. Time etched slowly forward from his perspective as he stood frozen in place, his hand eventually returning to his side though he'd not physically moved forward or backward. The flame before him had died down, and the figures which had ensnared the reflecting light settled as well. He had no sense of time or distance, but his body remained inanimate for either fear or uncertainty. He could feel the pulsing magic which buzzed against his skin and left his arm hairs standing up straight, his heart beat thick against his throat which he swallowed down dryly. 

"Dipper."

The quietest of voices called behind him, roaring in his ears through the suffocating silence. Dipper leaped in place and whipped around to face the one who uttered his name, eyes wildly scanning the spinning scenery. The brunet stumbled back in his surprise, meeting a steady, golden gaze which held him with a fierce anger. He felt his dried throat stick to itself, eyes widening as he regarded the far too familiar figure before him. The sensation that had brought him to this point welled up inside of his gut, his eyes watering from both exhaustion and sheer emotion. 

"Bill."

He barely managed to speak his name, the sides of his throat almost feeling stuck together. The golden eyed teenager stepped closer, not even leaves crunching beneath his feet as he reached forward and pulled Dipper closer. The contact jostled Dipper out of his stupor and he yanked back, nearly pulling both of them down as he did. He had braced for anger or even physical out lash but he found himself surrounded by a warmth a little too comfortable. His breathing evened out against his chest and he felt he was drowning in the scent of spices and vanilla. The interaction was brief, but the hold the other had was firm leaving Dipper's skin tingling when Bill pulled back to stare down at him. There was still a bitterness in the gaze which Dipper reluctantly met, his own gaze quickly averting as guilt pooled inside of him alongside the pride of finding the possessed boy in the endlessly large forest. 

"I remember explicitly telling you to stay with your family Pine Tree."

Bill didn't say anything more because he didn't need to. Dipper knew he risked both of their lives, as well as his families by following after the demon. He never bothered to question it until he was just inches from the other, feeling his breath against his forehead. A cool breeze ran through Dipper's hair, the teen voluntarily stepping closer to Bill to escape the biting cold it carried with it. The blond made no moves, just breathing steadily, patiently waiting for Dipper to answer an unasked question. He could feel Bill's mix of emotions from their closeness, a mixture of anger, fear, and pride all jumbled together in one small frame. He wondered how much of that was also William (if that part of them was even cognizant at that point of the night). He lost himself in his mind leaving moments to move along with Dipper just hovering against the other, trying to both gather his thoughts and cling helplessly to the warmth he felt while near the other. Slowly growing impatient with waiting, he not only heard but felt the sigh that left Bill, the teen finally glancing up to meet a scrupulous gaze.

"I...I know. You want to play martyr because you made this mess...But I can't just let you go."

The sounds of the leaves might have been beautiful if there wasn't a stifling silence between the two teenagers, Dipper unable to look away from the golden eyes which held him a belittling regard. There was a small snort that Dipper might have missed if he hadn't been so close, the blonde turning his back to him and heading off into the darkness of the forest. Dipper followed wordlessly, the forest bending away and the canopy lessening, giving way to the glittering light of the stars ahead. The pushed through to a break in the thick tree line, the grass just barely tall enough to scrape against Dipper's knees. He could make out the silhouette of Bill towards the center, the brunet joining him with enough space that they weren't particularly close together. 

"What do you mean you can't just let me go? I know LOTS of things, I've lived many existences, but I don't get it. I don't get YOU!" 

Bill had gone from a few feet away to right in Dipper's face, the brunet stumbling backward with surprise from the spontaneity. His heart rate spiked again and he could feel wild wheat tickling his knees, leaving behind an irritating itch. They stared at each other in a kind of stalemate, Dipper nervously unsure of what he meant or why he'd managed to anger Bill so much. He knew he wanted him to stay behind with the rest of his family, but he couldn't fathom why Bill was so desperate to save him from Willow even risking his own life and his vessels to do so. Bill was inherently selfish and that's why Dipper couldn't drop it, or at least he thought it was until he leveled his gaze with Bill's, his mind reaching a moment of blind epiphany.

"I mean...I don't know what to do in a world where you don't exist. Weirdmaggedon was horrifying, and I was traumatized...But I had a purpose...I had a purpose. You were predictable in your own weird way, and you were the only thing other than Ford who saw potential in me. Maybe I'm a little messed up in the head but...When you're in the world things make sense. Everything I went through, everything I fought...But out there...With regular people...It feels unreal. THEY feel unreal. I...I feel like I'm just drifting along pretending that the world is exactly how they say it is and that I somehow made all of it up...But you're real...You're tangible. I understand you."

Bill seemed stunned, his pupils just slivers and his body completely stiff. The atmosphere between them became full of static, almost tangible in nature as Dipper stepped close enough to brush the other's arm. He felt his muscles jump slightly from the contact, uncertainty reflecting back at him. 

"You're the only thing in the world I can go toe to toe with Bill. I'm not ready to lose that again...Not to her...Not to anyone. You're MY issue. I'm the only one who is allowed to deal with you."

An eruption of laughter escaped the blonde, his eyes narrowed against the cold fog of breath that fluttered up towards the star kissed sky. Dipper braced himself mentally for the inevitable rebuttal, he knew it sounded insane, and perhaps it was, but he couldn't simply go back to the life he'd lived before weirdmaggedon, the life he lived before Bill. He wondered if it was the same for Bill, as he, in reality, could have gone anywhere, done just about anything with Will's magic, but he still returned to the Pines family. It seemed just as illogical to Dipper as his own need to feel purpose from the multi-dimensional nightmare. 

"Kid, you're a unique kind of naive. We're not some kind of equipotent opponents hoist upon a scaled universe of good versus bad. You 'defeated' me, because I couldn't bring myself to kill you. Like I said before, I like the way you think. Humans like you are rare, but your mind is still subject to your limited ability to understand the greater schemes of existence, and you're further inhibited by your arrogance." 

Silence fell over both of them as Dipper retreated into his own thoughts, the sounds of tree's rustling in a soft breeze replacing the too loud beating of his own heart. The chill of the night enveloped him so that it might numb him from his static mind, his hands shoved into the pockets of his shorts which warmed them slightly. As if a poorly rendered copy of a movie he kept repeating Bill's statement that he couldn't bring himself to kill him. He certainly had many chances last summer, especially once he had gotten ahold of the rift from Mabel. Dipper met the demon's eye to catch a similar amount of self-reflection staring blankly below them, the look fleeting as the demon had noticed him staring, waiting for the boy to say something. 

"And what about now Bill? If you're as invincible as you'd let me believe, why haven't you stopped Willow, why be her prisoner?"

The air around them got more bitter than before, the heaviness souring Dipper's mouth and drying his throat as if he'd not drank in many hours. He felt the breeze go from a steady and gentle push to a hastened force, the world reacting to Bill as his eyes flashed black and red angrily, and then calming as he did. He watched a heavy breath leave Bill's mouth, his body relaxing into near defeat and his eyes losing some of their usual light as he met Dipper's own. 

"I don't need your help Pine Tree, nor do I want it. Go home kid, live your boring human existence and learn to suck it up like all of the other crazies. If you don't, you'll end up like McGuckett."

"You expect me to accept that answer Bill? I'm not-"

The two paused their argument as something crackled behind them, anything nearby obscured by the heavy darkness the night laid over the entire forest. Neither could shake the feeling that they were no longer alone, and from what Dipper could tell it was something that made even Bill uneasy. He trained his sights from where he had thought the sound had come from, a figured slowly walking out of the shadows and becoming illuminated by the dimly lit clearing. He first made note of the curled hair which blew away from the individual's girlish face, her body surrounded by blindingly light orbs of fire which grazed just above the tops of the tallest weeds, creating a layer of smoked fog from the nightly dew. He found himself between her and Bill, the other stepping back from Dipper just a few paces, leaving the young teen almost alone.

"You're incredibly persistent Dipper Pines, I'll grant you that. But I've had enough of arguing with you. The demon will die, even if it means I must kill my own brother."

The balls of fire pushed away from their creator, rushing past Dipper almost too fast for his eyes to track. He turned his gaze back to the girl as he heard a grunt from Bill, a bluish light engulfing his peripheral. He felt his own magical energy surge and released it into the palm his hand, a bright flame just flickering above his skin causing an eery contrast against his scars. Fire bolted between him and Willow, her energy almost sporadic and overwhelming as he failed to stop every attack she made between him and Bill. He could hear Bill's breathing become labored, his own chest heaving with effort and his mind distracted by the seamless way Willow wielded her own magic. Another wave of magic hit him, pushing him down and heavily holding him there, the same energy pushing Bill down as well. He heard him mutter something about how pathetic his human form was as he went down, the grass pods clanking together from the force. 

"This is the last time I deal with you two. Now then, Pines, you sit there like a good boy while I deal with Bill."

The energy pushing on Dipper increased and he found himself trapped against a force he couldn't even see, leaving his view of his companion unobstructed. He watched Willow as she circled around Bill and Will's shared bodies, burning a magical rune into the very earth with each pass she made around them. He couldn't make out any words but he heard her softly chanting, his gaze locking with a combination of Bill's and Will's as they both seemed to fight to inhabit their physical space. The rune glowed as it connected into a smooth circle around its exterior, and from where he laid, Dipper could just barely make out some writings near the center of the rune. He pushed again against the energy holding him down, feeling it only give slightly against him while Willow focused on Bill. 

More soft words left her mouth in a foreign near echo, the rune emanating with a wild, life-like energy which illuminated the blackening of Willow's arms. Each word seemed to spread her sickness and Dipper could almost feel the energy being physically drained from Bill and Will. He shut his eyes as she made a tenth pass around them, his emotions soaring with his helpless and sense of loss. He kept thinking about going back to his old life, going back to a family which shunned and feared him for his magic and living an existence without Bill. The idea of going into all of that made him feel sick, and his mind seemed to settle on the same idea. That he'd rather expend his life trying to save Will at least than live in that kind of world. The thought seemed to bring something to life inside him, and he let out a shout in pain as his own essence seemed to leap from him and enveloped the three of them.

He could feel a semblance between his magic and Bill's in that moment, a connection similar to the energy that had lead him to where Willow had taken him off to. He realized that his life was now in some way irrevocably tied to Bill's and even if he'd wanted to, he'd never go back to the life he'd lead before. He could feel pain not physically from himself, but emotionally from Bill, his own body heaving from it even though he wasn't really the one expressing the emotion. The energy he let forth seemed to take a new life from his connection from Bill, the light from it blinding Dipper until all he could see or hear was whiteness. Feeling left him, the cold night air no longer bracing him, and the grass no longer itching his skin. He felt adrift in a space of nothing, not even thoughts coming to him until he felt not even himself, just another piece of a vast, empty existence.


End file.
